Who's Your Daddy
by Jeanny
Summary: Xander has an accident and winds up in a very different place. (Takes place during S5, after Blood Ties & in an AU future) **COMPLETE**
1. One

Title: Who's Your Daddy

Author: Jeanny

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Season 5 Through Blood Ties.

Feedback: Please. jeannygrrl@hotmail.com

Distribution: I don't mind, just credit me and let me know where it's going.

Summary: Xander has an accident and winds up in a very different place.

Disclaimer: I own no one and nothing, especially the characters in this story. I'm merely borrowing them for the pure pleasure of messing with their lives.

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"Don't go to work today," Anya stretched languidly and gave her boyfriend her most seductive pose. The fact that she was wearing nothing but a bed sheet made it quite effective in the seduction department, she could tell by the look he was giving her as he slipped into his work boots. "Stay here with me, and we'll never leave this bed."

"Ahn, we've been through this. Work means money, and money means all those things that you like so much. I'm glad Giles gave you the day off. Enjoy it. Meet the other girls for lunch or something. I've got this job I've got to finish, and I've missed too much work as it is."

"But you only just got the cast off your arm. You're still delicate. You really shouldn't push yourself." Xander hesitated and went to pull his girlfriend into his arms. There was a touch of panic in her voice that he found alarming.

"What's going on with you honey? You sound scared." Anya hung her head.

"I had a nightmare about you last night. You were standing on the construction site, and all of a sudden..." Anya's voice choked as she trembled with remembered fear, and Xander rubbed her back soothingly. "All of a sudden there were hundreds of bunnies and they trampled you. I couldn't see you anymore, only the bunnies. It was horrible."

"Shhh, Anya, it was just a dream. And I know for a fact there are no bunnies at the site, so you don't have to worry." She pulled away from him, shaking her head.

"The bunnies were a warning. I used to be a vengeance demon, I know an omen when I see one. You're in danger." Xander gave a quick kiss, then glanced at his watch.

"In danger of being fired if I don't get a move on. Look, Anya, I don't know about warnings and omens, but I do know about nightmares. People have them all the time, and unless you're the Slayer, they don't really mean anything. Just too much pizza last night." Anya tried to smile, but she was clearly still shaken. Xander gave her another quick hug, then stood up. "You call Willow or Buffy and have fun with them today, okay? I'm going to be just fine, I promise." He leaned down for one more quick kiss before he hurried out the door, and in truth gave the whole conversation no further thought until he heard the foreman shout his name a few hours later.

As the beam came swinging towards him, he only had time to think, *Funny, that's not a bunny...* Then a white buzzing filled his mind and he had no need to think for a while.

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When Xander awoke, the world seemed rather blue and fuzzy. This was frightening until he realized that his head was under a blanket. He pulled it off his head and looked around. The pounding in his head was gradually fading to a dull ache, but it didn't seem like that ache had plans to be anywhere else for a while. He sighed with a mixture of resignation and puzzlement.

His surroundings seemed vaguely familiar, but at the same time he had the feeling he'd never been in this room before. It wasn't a hospital room, he was sure of that, it looked too homey. Getting up slowly, so as to not rattle his brain unnecessarily, he moved to one side of the room and opened the nearby door. Closet. Inside he saw mostly women's clothing, but found a few men's shirts and pants pushed to the side. The clothes didn't really seem like his style, mostly earth tones and grays, but the khaki shirt and pants he pulled out fit him perfectly. He turned to look across the room and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror on the other door. The pain in his head roared to life as he blinked in shock.

"God, I look...old! Well, not like Giles old, but still, older...is that what getting struck by a beam does to you?" He stepped close to the mirror, examining the small wrinkles around his eyes and mouth and the little gray streaks along his temples. Shaking his head, he pulled on a pair of tennis shoes he had found by the bed and, after staring at himself in the mirror for a moment longer, opened the door and walked out of the room. Something very strange was going on, and he meant to find out what it was.

The house was beautiful, filled with well done woodwork. Xander hadn't been doing carpentry for very long, but he knew how to tell when a master craftsman had been at work. If he wasn't feeling like he's fallen down a rabbit hole, he would have enjoyed just walking around and looking at it, but right now he needed to find Anya or Buffy. Someone had to know what was going on. Maybe Giles.

He walked out the front door and was relieved to note that he was still in Sunnydale, at least. He immediately recognized the street he was on. A few blocks down and to the right and he'd be at his parent's house. He turned and headed in the opposite direction, towards town and eventually Giles' apartment. It was sunny and warm and it felt good to walk, the pain in his head fading again to a dull throb he could almost ignore. The sound of familiar laughter carried on the breeze brought him to a sudden screeching halt.

"Anya..." he said softly, and looked around. He heard women's voices and children's laughter coming from behind some hedges. He remembered that there was a playground nearby and quickly headed down the path and towards the hedges. He ran around them and stopped short, his jaw dropping open. Anya was sitting on a bench at the edge of the playground with Buffy, Willow, Tara, and a blonde Cordelia that he'd stared at for more than a minute before he'd recognized. They were surrounded by strollers and various toys, watching a group of happily playing children. The oldest, a strangely familiar dark-haired boy, looked to be about seven or eight; the youngest, an infant in Buffy's arms seemed to be newly born, maybe a month old. He counted nine children in all. Anya looked up and saw him, and gave him a smile and a wave. He had to smile back, loving the way the sun glinted off of her hair. She looked exactly as beautiful as she had that morning. For a moment Xander forgot about the accident and all the strangeness he had experienced since awakening. That moment was shattered when the dark haired boy also caught sight of him and with a happy cry ran towards him, followed closely by six of his playmates. They were all shouting joyously, and Xander felt his knees grow weak.

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" they cried nearly in unison, and as they reached him looked up at him expectantly. There was only one thing to do, really.

Xander fainted.

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Feedback please!


	2. Two

Disclaimer: I own no one and nothing, especially the characters in this story. I'm merely borrowing them for the pure pleasure of messing with their lives.

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This time Xander felt like he was floating under water. Above him he could hear small frightened voices and warm motherly tones, but he couldn't make out the words. Then he heard Anya and Tara calling his name, but he couldn't respond. The pungent scent of ammonia suddenly brought him rushing back to consciousness, and once he was done sputtering he found himself looking into Cordelia's eyes. She seemed annoyed, but he remembered that was Cordelia for concern. Another head appeared in his line of sight. The boy that had run to him first. Xander realized with a shock what had been familiar about him. The resemblance between the two faces looking at him was striking.

"Mom, I brought the wet cloth like you said," he said to her, his voice high pitched with excitement. Her expression softened as she turned to her son.

"That's good, Frankie. Go on, you can put it on your father's head." The boy gently placed the washcloth across Xander's forehead, his eyes filled with fear. Xander felt his mouth go dry. *Father...Cordelia's his mom and I'm his...what the...* His headache chose that moment to come rushing back and he closed his eyes against the pain.

"You gonna be okay, Dad? You're not gonna die, are you?" the frightened boy asked. Before Xander could even think to respond, Cordelia put her hands on Frankie's shoulders and pulled him away.

"Your dad's just fine, Frankie. He did too much too soon, like I said. Why don't we go help Aunt Buffy. You know the other kids are really scared, and you need to help them. Be my big boy." The boy nodded once and squared his shoulders, heading back towards Buffy and the herd of children. Cordelia stared at Xander for another long moment, then traipsed after her son. Xander turned his head to watch them go and blinked wonderingly at the throng of tiny bodies. Anya's feet blocked his view, and he looked up at her.

"Xander, what are you doing here? Doc told you it would be a few more days till you had your strength back, and here you are scaring us all half to death!" She removed the cloth from his forehead and felt his face and cheeks worriedly. Sagging in relief, she continued to speak. "There's no fever, thank God. You looked so much better when I saw you at first, and then you got all pale..." Her hand traced his cheek lovingly, and Xander could see she was still worried.

"Anya, I have to ask..." Xander croaked, his mouth and throat still dry. Tara approached with a small paper cup of water, and Anya and Willow helped him sit up slowly. He sipped the water gratefully. "Those kids...they called me daddy..."

"Yes." Anya's eyes showed her confusion.

"Why?" Xander asked and was immediately hit by both Willow and Anya. He was so surprised he dropped the nearly empty cup, small droplets of water splashing on the three of them.

"That's not funny, Xander," Willow chided him.

"I can't believe you'd joke like that now!" Anya sputtered.

"First let me just say, ow! Look girls, joking I'm not. Not being funny. I'm totally serious, as strange as that may seem. I think something of the wacky only-on-the-Hellmouth variety is going on here, and I don't get it. And the way my head is throbbing, I can't think too well, so I'm not going to be understanding it anytime soon." He winced, putting his hand to his temple. It occurred to him that he had seen no marks or bruising from the accident when he had looked in the mirror. The way his head hurt, his whole face should be black and blue.

"Your head hurts?" Tara asked softly. Xander had almost forgotten she was there, and now noticed that her hair was much shorter than he had ever seen it, curling up just below her ears. He was going to nod in response, but decided against it.

"Yes, my head hurts. Being hit by a cross beam has that effect. Most people don't know that, because they lack the personal experience." He stopped talking as Anya suddenly began feeling his forehead again in agitation. At the same time Tara backed away, one hand curved across her stomach. Anya looked at Tara beseechingly.

"What's going on? He's not feverish, but he's definitely delusional. And the headache, what does that mean?" Willow stood up and moved towards Tara, frowning. Xander saw that she was holding her right sleeve and muttering to herself.

"I'm not sure...Willow, did you..." Tara looked at Willow questioningly. Willow gave Xander a concerned and fearful glance, then nodded to Tara.

"I explained. They're going to meet us back at the house. You shouldn't come with us." This was directed to Tara who nodded slowly.

"What's going on?" Xander asked, feeling completely out of the loop. His headache was growing worse by the second. They were ignoring him, so apparently some things hadn't changed.

"I'll stay with Buffy and the kids, we'll go to her house. Spike can help with the entertaining until you get us word." Tara gave Xander a nervous smile then walked towards Buffy and Cordy.

"Spike can help with the..." Xander repeated numbly to himself.

"Send Cordy back over here, we might need the extra hand," Anya called after Tara, and Xander winced at the volume. She and Willow helped him shakily to his feet as Cordy trotted back over.

"Please tell me he isn't dying, I just told Frankie..." Cordy started. She trailed off as Anya glared at her icily.

"We need to get him back to the house. Doc's meeting us there," Willow said softly. She and Anya maintained their grip on Xander even though he was walking fine without their support.

"There's something wrong with him. He thinks he was hit by a beam," Anya said curtly as they made their way back to the street.

"I was hit by a..." Xander protested weakly.

"And he doesn't remember the kids," Willow finished, her tone clipped and worried. Cordy gave no response, but fell in silently behind them. They were making their way back to the house he had come from, he noted.

"I can walk on my own. I may be more than a little confused, but I'm not an invalid," Xander said finally, but neither of the women loosened their grip.

"I don't see why you needed me to come," Cordy grumbled from behind them.

"Cordy, we needed another pair of hands in case..." Willow trailed off as Xander stopped suddenly, causing Cordelia to nearly bump into them. He was staring at the car that was passing them on the street. It looked much like the other cars he'd seen earlier, except this one had four flat tires. The car was floating in the air, much like a landspeeder from the Star Wars movies. Xander gaped at it as Anya patted his arm, smiling indulgently.

"He's been wanting one of these since they came out last year, but they're priced way out of our league. I keep telling him, we'll never get the kids through grad school if we buy one of those things - my God!" The last part was screamed as Xander once again blacked out. The two women tumbled to the ground with him as he fell, Willow grabbing his head to keep it from hitting the pavement. Cradling Xander's head gently, Willow looked up at Cordelia, whose mouth was open in shock.

"We needed another pair of hands in case he did this again. Is what I was going to say, earlier."

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Xander could feel a cool cloth on his forehead, and gentle hands massaging his temples. The pain in his head had once again gone back to the dull ache stage. He opened one eye, then the other, and focused on the person next to him. Willow smiled at him brightly, but the fear was still in her eyes.

"Welcome back," she said softly. "You've got to stop doing that. I had to use magick to help get you up the stairs, you were too heavy for the three of us," she added, head bowed guiltily. He tried to smile back at her. He had begun to hope that he was just having a remarkably vivid dream, but everything felt a bit too real for that to be true.

"I promise to try, if everything would just go back to normal and stop freaking me out," he responded, eyeing her seriously, all traces of a smile gone. "Will, there's something really wrong here. We need Giles."

"He's on his way," she soothed. "And the doctor will be here soon, too. Hopefully, we'll get some answers." They sat for a moment in silence, each lost in worried thoughts. Xander finally was able to connect recent events in his aching head, and was electrified by a sudden notion.

"This house, the kids, and that car...Will, what year is it?" She laughed in surprise.

"Xander, don't be silly. It's 2011, of course." Xander sat up in bed so fast she made a small startled squeak. The sudden movement made the pain in his head roar to life, but he ignored it.

"Okay, that's not possible. When I woke up this morning, it was December 9, 2000. I left for work at the construction site..."

"...and you got hit by a crossbeam! I remember! You were unconscious for two days, we were really scared, but then you woke up and you were fine...but that was ten and a half years ago, Xander. That's the last thing you remember?"

"Until I woke up in this room. I got dressed, found you guys with the munchkins, heard them call me daddy and fainted like a girl. No offense. And the rest you know." Xander sank back against the pillows as Willow's brow furrowed in concentration.

"I've never...but maybe Doc has. When she gets here, hopefully she'll be able to explain. Or Giles will."

"Tell me about the kids," Xander said softly. "They aren't really all mine, right?" Willow frowned at him.

"You've got to remember them. You're such a great dad to all of them, and they love you so. Of course, for Buffy's kids you're one of two 'Daddys' but that's not nearly as confusing as it sounds..."

"Who's the other daddy?" At Willow's obvious discomfort, Xander groaned. "Please don't say Spike," he muttered. Willow giggled.

"Not Spike! He's good old Uncle Spike to all our kids. There's nothing he wouldn't do for them, but he's not daddy. And he hasn't felt that way about Buffy for a while, not since...wait, I'm babbling, and you asked about the kids, so let's talk about the kids, okay? My favorite subject, and yours too, at least it used to be. You really did good, Mr. Harris. Here, look." Willow held up a well-worn pocket-sized photo album triumphantly. "This is yours, so you can keep the pictures with you constantly. It's so old-fashioned and sweet."

"That's mine?" Xander repeated uncertainly. He knew he'd never seen it before in his life. Willow nodded with great enthusiasm as she opened it to the first picture. It was obviously a recent school picture. In it was the grinning face of the boy Cordelia had called Frankie. When he smiled he looked even more like his mother.

"That's Frankie, he's the oldest. He's eight." Xander wanted to ask how he came to be the father of Cordelia's son, but it was clear from the way Willow was not looking at him that she didn't want to be the one to address that subject. She flipped to the next picture, a candid shot. Xander recognized the front of the house he was now in, and smiled at Anya happily posing with three dark-haired children, two boys and a girl. "That's Jesse, he's seven, and Ross, he's five, and Melissa, she's two. They're yours and Anya's, but you probably already guessed that."

"Jesse," Xander repeated, and Willow smiled sadly.

"Yeah, you insisted." She flipped to the next photo, a studio shot. As they gazed at the posed grouping of three children, Willow's smile became so bright it could probably have lit the room. She pointed proudly at the red-haired girl and the small dark-haired boy. "That's Jenny, she's six, and Danny is four. They're both mine." At Xander's shock, she started to giggle. "Artificial insemination, Xan. Tara and I wanted to start a family and you volunteered for daddy duty. It's the best gift anyone has ever given me."

"I'm glad I could help. I'd do anything for you, Will," Xander said, surprised at the rush of emotion that ran through him at the thought of fathering his best friend's children. Willow smiled at him, blinking away sudden tears. She pointed to the youngest girl in the picture, blonde and the spitting image of Tara.

"You can probably guess that Savannah is Tara's. She turns three next week. And Tara's pregnant again thanks to you. Four months along. Another girl, thank the goddess. Danny is quite the handful, takes after his daddy." She turned to next picture, still grinning. It was another candid shot, this time at the Magic Box. Buffy and a little girl smiled prettily matching smiles in matching dresses.

"She looks exactly like Buffy!" Xander exclaimed. "Except for the hair," he added, gesturing towards the dark blonde curls on the little girl. Willow nodded.

"Joyce. We all call her Joy, 'cause that's what she is. She'll be four next month." She turned to the last picture, and both were momentarily stunned. Xander saw himself in the candid shot, grinning like an idiot while crouched on one side of a bassinet containing a red-faced newborn with thick black hair. Xander's disbelief came from the smiling face standing on the other side of the bassinet. Willow's surprise stemmed from the presence of the picture altogether. "Goddess, I can't believe that you were able to put this in there. Maybe Anya did. She must have. I know she took this picture, but two days later..." Xander wasn't listening, still transfixed by the image of the other man. He pointed at the photo with a shaky hand.

"Will, correct me if I'm wrong, but that's Angel. Are Buffy and Angel...together?" he asked. Willow nodded silently. Xander looked confused. "I didn't think you could take pictures of vampires."

"Actually, that's a common misconception...but in this case it wouldn't have mattered. Xander, Angel, he's not a vampire anymore. Angel's human. He's been human for five years now."

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	3. Three

Disclaimer: I own no one and nothing, especially the characters in this story. I'm merely borrowing them for the pure pleasure of messing with their lives.

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Xander couldn't remember a time when he'd had more questions. Maybe when Willow's spell had gone wacky and Spike and Buffy had started playing tonsil hockey, but this was even more shocking. Angel, human. Dead Boy was now apparently Very-Much-Alive Boy. How was such a thing possible? And he was playing Barbie's Dream House with Buffy. He couldn't think of where to begin, but they were interrupted before he could collect his thoughts. The door opened, and in walked Anya, Giles, a teenage girl he did not know and...a very pregnant Amy Madison. Most definitely not a rat, Amy approached the bed and sat with considerable grace considering her current girth. She gave him a quick perfunctory kiss on the cheek and began to take his vitals. Xander's eyes widened in further surprise.

"You...you're the doctor?" There were several chuckles that Xander ignored. He was too distracted by an alarming fact of Amy's appearance. "Ummm, Amy, you're, you know, glowing..." Although her pregnancy did seem to agree with her, he meant the last part literally. Amy was emanating a green glow that pulsed and shimmered with her movements. Except for Willow, the others groaned at the perceived pun. *This is where years of sarcastic humor get you, my friend. No one can tell when you're being serious.* 

"Just keeping things sanitary," she answered breezily. Xander's head still hurt too much to figure what that answer meant. As if she read his mind, Amy continued, "How's the head, Xander? Anya said you have the mother of all headaches," She exuded calm professionalism as she took an instrument and shined a small light into his eyes.

"You could say that...look, Amy, there's no good way to ask this, but...that's not mine, is it?" He pointed vaguely in the direction of her stomach. Amy giggled, tilting her head and placing her hands lovingly over her swollen belly.

"No, it is most certainly not yours, Xander Harris. As tempting as it might have been to join the Harris Baby Club, I believe I have my husband to thank for my current condition." She tossed a loving glance over her shoulder at Giles, who gave her a smile in return. Xander gave him a wide grin.

"Giles, you canny British hound you! You married Amy Madison! When did this happen, before you knocked her up, I hope...?" He trailed off at their expressions, mixtures of concern and confusion. Willow quickly chimed in.

"The last thing Xander remembers before this morning is that accident he had almost eleven years ago. Remember, the one where he was hit by the beam?"

"Oh my God, yes! I'd almost forgotten. I was really mad at you then," Anya added directly to Xander.

"I don't remember, but I was still a rat, wasn't I?" Amy murmured, putting a strange tubular device Xander didn't recognize against his arm. He hissed at the unexpected pinch. "Sorry, Xan. Needed a blood sample." She regarded him clinically. "Memory loss, headaches...that doesn't fit. Something's definitely not...never mind, I'll figure it out. And Giles and I have been married for three wonderful years, which I know you'll remember soon." She patted his arm reassuringly as she gave Giles another brilliant smile. She stood with difficulty, took the tube and waddled towards the door. "Gonna run this sample, I'll be right back. Anya, could you come with me? I need to run through what happened this morning again for me." Anya nodded with enthusiasm, and after giving Xander a quick kiss, hurried after Amy. Once they had left, Giles turned to Xander. There was now a deadly serious look on his face. An almost Ripper-like expression. Xander shivered.

"I hope you realize how lucky you are, Xander. Not many doctors would make a house call for someone who's had HVE, let alone a pregnant ...even with shielding..." From the fear in his voice it was apparent that Giles wished that Amy hadn't done so either. Xander felt himself beginning to panic at what Giles was telling him.

"HVE? Okay, back up. Back way, way up, like years, maybe. You're telling me I've been sick?" Giles and the unknown teenage girl glared at Willow, who looked sheepishly back at them.

"Will, you didn't tell him?" The soft Southern drawl came from the up till now silent teenager. Xander looked at her closely for the first time. She was tall and gangly, with an olive complexion and shortly cropped hair that was an unnatural maroon color. The pixie cut emphasized her dark fathomless eyes. Her expression told him nothing about what she was thinking. Around one of her eyes was a kind of facial tattoo that Xander had never seen before. It was silver but seemed to change colors when she turned her head. He wasn't sure if it was permanent or makeup, but he had much more important questions. Like...

"Who are you?" She looked back at him and he caught a flash of disappointment before she returned to her impassive state. They looked each other in the eye for a long moment. Xander thought he saw something very familiar. Giles cleared his throat.

"Xander, this is Lili North. She's-"

"-a Slayer," Xander finished softly. All were surprised and suddenly hopeful at Xander's response.

"Xander, do you remember her?" Willow asked excitedly, then was crestfallen at his response. He spoke to Lili when he answered.

"There's something about your eyes that reminded me of...another Slayer," he finished lamely. It had suddenly occurred to him that she might not find the comparison flattering. 

"You mean Faith...yes, you've said that before," Giles said thoughtfully. If Giles had no compunction to be tactful, Xander mused, apparently this was old territory. "But you don't remember Lili at all?" Xander went to shake his head, then winced at the now familiar pain.

"You got it wrong anyway, Harris," Lili said. "I'm not a Slayer, I'm _the_ Slayer. As in the one and only Chosen One." The girl raised her chin defiantly as both Willow and Giles glared at her.

"But Buffy...I saw Buffy in the park," Xander protested, and all of them immediately found something of great interest to look at that wasn't him. *Uh-oh,* Xander thought to himself. "She's still the Slayer, right? Winner and still champion...?" Another thought occurred to him and he sat up straighter, excited. "Wait! Maybe I'm in some kind of alternate universe, like the ones Ahn's always talking about...you guys probably have shrimp, right? Never mind, it doesn't matter, this is a place where Buffy isn't the Slayer!"

"Xander, Buffy was the Slayer." Willow was the one to reply, and Xander was struck by the sorrow in her eyes.

"I didn't think there was a retirement plan...come on, guys, what gives? I know I've got more than ten years to catch up on, but this would seem to be one of the more important points..." 

"Err...yes, well, now probably isn't the best time...until we know what's going on..." Giles stammered. Xander looked at him impatiently. Something else important had occurred to him.

"Another thing, where's Dawn? I figure she's got to be what, 25? Probably graduated from college by now, I can't wait to see..." Xander trailed off as Willow burst into tears and ran from the room. Fear suddenly seized his heart.

"Xander," Giles began gently.

"Oh God, Giles, what happened to Dawn? Where is she? Did Glory...oh God..." 

Amy, Willow and Anya coming back into the room stalled Giles' response. Anya made a beeline for the bed and sat next to Xander, grabbing hold of his hand. He couldn't remember when he had seen her so nervous. Willow's breath was still hitching, but she had calmed down. She gave him a watery smile, which he tried to return. The doctor went to her husband and began to whisper to him. Xander had had enough.

"Whatever it is, please don't keep me in the dark. I'm lost enough here as it is," he stated plaintively. Amy sighed and nodded.

"I'm sorry, Xander, you're right. Let me give it to you straight. I know you don't remember, but you've been sick for about three weeks with a particularly virulent strain of HVE...I'll explain all about what that is to you, because I know you don't know, but let me tell you this first. You were responding well to treatment, and Anya was supposed to give you the last dose of your medication this morning. From what she told me, when she came in she found the fever had broken. It's unusual for that to happen before treatment is complete, but it's not unheard of. Anya called me and told me, and I told her to keep you in bed until I could check you out myself. You know what happened next..."

"Yes, I think I've got that part down," Xander replied. Amy smiled faintly.

"The symptoms you're exhibiting now, the memory loss, headaches, fainting spells...these aren't symptoms that have ever been found with HVE. The blood sample I ran came back negative for HVE, but, see, that can't be right. There should still be traces of HVE in your blood. The sample's telling me you've never had it. I'm assuming it's some kind of equipment malfunction. I want to get another sample, and I want to take it to the lab at the hospital. And I need you to come with me. Maybe you should all come."

"Where's Cordy?" Willow asked Anya. 

"Went back to Buffy's to be with Frankie. Doc, why does Xander need to go to the hospital?" Anya asked, gripping his hand more tightly.

"Because frankly, I don't get what's happening...but given how we suspect he contracted the HVE in the first place, we can't rule out..."

"Menckar," Lili almost whispered. Amy shrugged.

"Maybe, maybe not. The pieces don't fit, and I don't like it." Giles put a protective arm around Amy and gave her a soft kiss.

"Menckar?" Xander asked confusedly. The group collectively sighed. "Let me guess, long story?"

"Very, very long...but important," Giles answered. Xander struggled to his feet with Willow and Anya's help and gave them all a grim smile.

"Then tell me on the way. But you're going to also have to tell me about Dawn. And Buffy."

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Feedback please!


	4. Four

Disclaimer: I own no one and nothing, especially the characters in this story. I'm merely borrowing them for the pure pleasure of messing with their lives.

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No sooner did they have him settled in the back seat of Giles' van did Xander begin questioning them again. Amy was riding in the back seat with him, Anya sitting next to Giles in the front but she was turned almost all the way around in her seat so she could keep a worried eye on him. He gave her a tired smile. Willow and Lili were in the seat behind them, Willow's hand sitting protectively on Xander's shoulder. It made him feel good to know that eleven years later their friendship was still so strong.

"Okay, start talking. Let's start with this disease you say I have. HVE? What is it and how did I get it? I'm having flashbacks to Thanksgiving and Chumash curses and syphilis..." Willow chuckled softly and gave his shoulder a light squeeze.

"I suppose we should start with the basics. When HVE appeared we couldn't have been more unprepared for it. We had cures for just about every fatal disease you ever heard of, and most of the ones you never heard knew about. This was almost all thanks to a doctor named Isaiah Helborne. He was just about hailed as the Messiah because of it," Willow stated, her tone icy when she spoke the man's name. Xander got what she wasn't saying.

"But this Helborne guy was bad news?"

"The baddest news," Amy replied, picking up the story. "He was a brilliant pathologist, but he was also heavily into dark magick. He was terribly ambitious and too impatient to actually come up with cures through research and testing. He tried to use magick to find a shortcut, and that's when he summoned Menckar. The demon had the knowledge Helborne wanted, but the price was unthinkable. He wanted Helborne to create a plague to wipe all humans from the earth, except for a select few. Then the demons could rule once more, with Menckar as their leader."

"Same song, new dance," Willow muttered, and Xander had to grin at her.

"So Helborne agreed, took the cures, played the hero and then when everyone was feeling like they'd live forever..." Xander trailed off.

"HVE," Anya said with a quiet shudder. Xander didn't think he'd ever seen her so affected.

"As Willow said, the world couldn't have been more unprepared. At the time we didn't call it HVE, we called it the Super Flu. HVE stands for Helborne's Viral Enchantment. Essentially the combination of a genetically mutated influenza strain and a powerful dark spell. The virus kills, but the spell makes it impossible to diagnose. And the treatments that would work on a normal flu only accelerate the progress of HVE. So many died before we figured it out..." Amy's eyes showed memories of the horror of that time, as did the eyes of the others. Xander for the first time was glad he couldn't remember a part of his life.

"When you say we, you mean the universal we, right?" Giles shook his head and smiled proudly from behind the wheel.

"She means herself, Xander. Amy was the one to figure out what HVE was, and to come up with the cure. With the help of Tara and Willow, of course." Xander looked at Amy questioningly. She blushed in response.

"After Willow managed to reverse my spell and make me human, she helped me get into UC-Sunnydale. Being a rat really gives you a lot of time to think, and I had decided if I ever became human again, I wanted to be a doctor. As it turned out, Tara and I entered med school together."

"Tara was pre-med?" Xander asked Willow, who nodded in amusement. "I guess I never asked what she was studying..."

"And the three of us practiced magicks together," Willow added. "I was studying for my advanced degree in chemistry while heading up the computer lab at the hospital, so we saw each a lot. And of course, we were helping the Slayer when we could." Xander noted how she hadn't said Buffy. He was opening his mouth to ask why when Amy hastily continued.

"Anya was actually the key to solving the mystery of HVE, you know. I was just as baffled as everyone else. It never would have occurred to me that a spell might be involved but one day she started relating a story about how she started a plague during her demon days," Anya blushed and made a shooing gesture.

"Oh, Xander's heard that story a million times already, haven't you, honey?"

"Yeah, plague story, check, no need to elaborate, please continue," Xander responded, his eyes pleading with Amy to go on quickly, before Anya changed her mind.

"Anyway, after that I thought maybe magick might be involved, and I did the Tirer la Couture spell. I looked at some of the patients with HVE, and I could see it so plain. Once we knew a spell was involved the three of us came up with a way to enchant one of the Helborne's enhanced antibiotics to treat the HVE. It was hit and miss, but we came up with an effective dosage and protocol that worked."

"That's doctor talk for they found a cure," Lili interjected softly. Xander started. He had almost forgotten she was there, she'd been so quiet.

"Everything changed then, though. In order for us to get the cure to the population at large, we had to explain about magick and...let's just say people didn't take it well," Amy stated.

"Especially when they realized it was dark magick that helped make everyone sick in the first place," Willow added.

"The use of all magick has been completely bureaucratized now. Only licensed medical practitioners are supposed to cast spells of any kind. Willow's been working on getting licensed so she can work spells with the others, but it's difficult, there are so many rules and regulations. And the penalties for unauthorized castings are severe. On the other hand, Amy and Tara and others like them are much in demand," Giles commented. Xander could feel him warming to the subject and was desperate to get them back on topic. And to get to the most important part of what had happened to Buffy and Dawn.

"How did you know that Helborne was responsible?" Xander asked. 

"It became pretty clear when he tried to kill Amy," Anya responded.

"Rupert saved me," Amy murmured, and seeing her husband watching from the rear view mirror, gave him a bright smile. "Helborne was killed, and people finally realized what was going on. But unfortunately that's when Menckar began to come after us himself."

"We were able to defeat him, send him back to his own dimension. He no longer can walk the earth, but his minions can," Giles told Xander as they pulled into the hospital parking lot.

"Shape-shifters," Lili said.

"He's tried to hurt us on more than one occasion," Giles added.

"He's succeeded." Willow's quiet statement seemed to confirm Xander's fear.

"Buffy, he did something to Buffy! Took away her Slayerness or something." Xander again noticed their evasiveness when he brought up the subject of Buffy being the Slayer, but he also saw the sadness in their eyes. Whatever this was about was much worse than just the loss of Buffy's Slayer mojo.

"Not Buffy, Xander. He did something to Dawn," Anya's face looked for the first time to be older to him. In it he saw pain he had barely known she was capable of feeling for another, and his heart sank. "Dawn, she's..."

"No, she's not. Dawnie's not dead," Xander interrupted.

"Not dead, but...she's dying, Xander. And we don't know how to stop it."

They had walked into the hospital side entrance and Xander stopped short as Amy attempted to take his arm to guide him.

"Is she here?" he asked.

"Xander, you need to-" Amy began, but Xander cut her off impatiently.

"Is Dawn here?" Amy nodded, her face solemn. "I want to see her."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Amy responded.

"Listen to Doc, honey, if she doesn't think-" This time Xander cut Anya off, his eyes never leaving Amy's.

"I want to see her. Please." Amy sighed, relenting.

"Fine, let me get a blood sample first. And make sure someone stays with you," she glared at her husband meaningfully, "in case you faint again. And Xander, remember to be on your guard and be careful. We believe that it might have been one of Menckar's minions that infected you with HVE in the first place. The disease hit you fast because it was administered straight into your bloodstream somehow."

"But what did Menckar have to gain? He knows we can cure HVE," Lili's voice was clearly frustrated, and Xander had the feeling they had been having this discussion for the past month. Amy just shook her head.

"I don't understand either, but let's get you admitted...Anya, can you please go down to admissions and get Xander's file started?"

"Paperwork. Nice to know some things haven't changed," Xander said with grim humor, wincing as Amy used another one of the strange new syringes to get another blood sample. Willow indicated she and Lili would stay with Amy. Giles led him down a well-lit corridor. Xander sniffed. "And the hospital smell is the same. I hate that smell."

"I used to hate it," Giles murmured softly. "But Amy's changed a number of things for me."

"So, G-man..."

"...that, on the other hand, I still hate..." 

"...when are you going to tell me what happened to Buffy?" Giles' mouth set in a grim line and he began walking more briskly. Xander had to hurry up to keep pace. "Okay, you don't want to tell me that one, how about this...how did Cordelia and I wind up having a kid together?" Giles stopped abruptly and turned to Xander, who nearly knocked him over.

"We're here. This is Dawn's room." Xander stared at the sign that said ICU. He walked towards it, then realizing he was alone looked back at Giles.

"Are you coming?"

"In a bit. It's...very hard. I'll be out here if you need me..." Xander saw the glimmer of tears in Giles' eyes before he turned away, and swallowed. He reached out and tentatively approached the door, feeling like he should knock first. He hesitated, then pushed it open and stepped inside instead. He had expected to see numerous complicated machines, but other than a small oxygen tank there was nothing. Xander's breath caught in his throat. He was taken aback by how beautiful Dawn was. The only hint of illness was the pallor of her skin. It seemed almost translucent; this just made her look more delicate and lovely to him. Her chestnut hair was fanned around her head like a crown. She looked like a sleeping princess awaiting her prince, and Xander felt his eyes fill with tears. Dawn couldn't die. He wouldn't accept it.

"She looks like she could just wake up, doesn't she?" The soft voice echoing his thoughts startled him and he whirled to see Buffy standing there. Wordlessly he went to her and hugged her, trying to poor all of the feeling he couldn't express with his voice into that hug. Buffy clung to him the same way. When they finally broke the embrace, she looked up at him. "Cordy says you've lost your memory."

"That's what they're telling me...Buffy, what happened?" Xander meant so many things by that question, but Buffy took it to mean Dawn's condition.

"Menckar's minion. One disguised itself as Dawn's fiance after killing him and took her. She was missing for two days, and when she turned up she seemed okay, then she just started slipping away. We don't know what's wrong, there's no spell, no disease...it's like something's draining away her life force and we don't know how. Or how to stop it. She's in a coma now, she won't wake up again. Doc doesn't know how long she'll linger like this, so I try to come everyday. I think she knows I'm here." Buffy managed a tearful smile at him. "And I know she'd be happy to see you here."

"I come to see her, don't I?" Buffy's look told him the answer. He shook his head, wincing at a brief flare of pain. Buffy put her hand on his arm in concern.

"Cordy said you were having headaches...you should sit down."

"I'm okay. Buffy, I keep asking but no one will tell me. Willow said you're not the Slayer anymore. How can that be?" Buffy sighed.

"It's a really long story, Xan. But the short version is, there can only be one Chosen One. Hence the "one" in the name. I saved the world as my job description dictated, and when it was all over I wasn't the Slayer anymore." Xander wanted to press her further, but could see by the look on her face that she didn't want to say more. He decided it would keep for a bit; besides, he had another burning question.

"And Angel?" At that Buffy managed a genuine smile.

"Angel got his shanshu."

"Angel got a dog?" Xander asked in confusion. Buffy glared at him good-naturedly.

"The Powers That Be made Angel human after he averted the apocalypse."

"Is that all? Didn't we do that a few times already?" At the glint of anger in her eyes, Xander changed subjects. She might no longer be the Slayer, but she was still pretty intimidating to him. "So you're a normal human, and Deadboy...excuse me, Liveboy's a normal human, and yet you just had my baby," Xander said in a teasing tone. In wordless agreement they moved together from Dawn's room into the hall. Xander didn't see Giles, but assumed that he had left when Buffy had come. She gave Xander a half-smile.

"Yes, well, starting a family was a bit more difficult than we had anticipated, but thanks to you we've got two of the most beautiful kids in the world. Deadboy..." she mused. "You know, I'd forgotten how much you hated Angel."

"Damn, you mean I don't hate Angel now?" Buffy shook her head, amused. "Do I still hate Spike?" he added hopefully. This brought outright laughter from the former Slayer.

"No one hates Spike!" Almost as quickly as the laughter had come it vanished as Buffy's mood darkened. "You hate Menckar. We all do, but I think that you hate him so much that it scares me."

"I don't remember, but from what I've been told, I already have a serious loathing for that guy. Full-blown hate is just around the corner I'm sure." Xander cleared his throat, still having questions but knowing Buffy didn't want to answer them. "Buff, about losing the Slayer gig and all, could you maybe be a bit more specific? I don't get how you could just lose your powers. It's kind of a 'in it for life' thing as I recall." Buffy met his gaze seriously.

"You're right, Xan. It is-"

"Buffy, not another word!" Giles called from the end of the hall. A blur rushed past Buffy and knocked Xander over onto his back. The blur solidified into Lili as she straddled Xander, her knees gripping him hard just beneath his ribcage. She held a wicked-looking and razor-sharp knife to Xander's throat. Xander and Buffy were both shocked speechless as Willow, Giles and finally Amy joined them.

"Lili, get off of him! Giles, what's going on?" Buffy asked in annoyance.

"I'd like to know that too, Giles," Xander wheezed painfully. Lili held the knife even closer to his throat and leaned in.

"You already know what this is about, you slimy bastard," she said, hatred harshening her tone.

"I ran the tests again," Amy explained softly to Buffy. "There were no traces of HVE anywhere in his blood, and there were other things that were just...not right."

"Which is how we found you out, you shape-shifting yurg. I'd tell you to take a message for me to your cowardly boss, but I can deliver you in pieces instead and it's just as good. I'm surely gonna kill you, but you might want to think about whether it's gonna be easy or hard."

"I never did well on multiple choice," Xander moaned, trying to make eye contact with one of the others. His head was pounding with full-blown panic when he heard Lili's next words.

"If you want to die easy, you have ten seconds to answer this question. Where is Xander Harris?"  


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Feedback please!


	5. Five

Author's Note: This part is dedicated to Candice, for her great feedback and for being too clever :)

Disclaimer: I own no one and nothing, especially the characters in this story. I'm merely borrowing them for the pure pleasure of messing with their lives.

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"What?" Xander asked in utter confusion and panic.

"I'm not asking twice," Lili returned, her eyes shining in anticipation of the upcoming kill.

"Where am I? I'm here. You're sitting on me, and I think you're about to kill me."

"That game's over. Stop the bad playacting, we know you're one of Menckar's shapeshifters!" Amy called out vehemently.

"Shapeshifter? If I was a shapeshifter, this is not the shape I would pick...I mean, I like the shape, it's a Xander-shape, Xander who is me, but I might want to try on some other shapes, like maybe one of those wrestling guys that Anya likes on TV...you know, if I could, which I can't, because I'm Xander!"

"Guys, that really sounds like Xander," Willow murmured doubtfully. He looked at her with frenzied hope in his expression.

"Yes, it does, it does, because it is Xander...please tell the nice Slayer to climb off of your bestest bud, would you, Will? Cause it's kinda hard to breathe down here," Xander moaned.

"I...don't know, Xan. It could be a trick, and Amy's tests say you're not you, you know?" Willow answered guiltily. He turned his head to look at Anya, who was looking at him fearfully.

"Ahn, you know it's me, right? I may not remember the past ten years or so, but before that...ask me anything, honey..." Anya looked doubtful, but after a moment she smiled confidently.

"What punishment did I bring upon Linus the Elder after his wife caught him with his sister?" Anya smiled and added conspiratorially to the others, "It was really good, such a naughty, naughty man." Xander's face fell.

"Linus the Elder...Linus...good old Linus...good old naughty Linus...I'm so dead," he moaned. "I have no clue what you did to Linus the Elder, Linus the Younger, or Charlie Brown's best friend. I'm sure you told me the story, but there are so many men you've...smitten...I don't know them by name," Anya stared at him for a long moment, then nodded to Willow.

"That's Xander. He always pretends he's listening when I tell my vengeance demon stories, but he never is. One of the minions would have known the answer, because, you know, I'm famous still," she added with more than a little pride. Giles and Lili both looked confused, and Buffy stepped in, addressing Lili confidently.

"Let him up. If it isn't Xander then you can kill him later." With a certain degree of reluctance Lili slowly moved off of Xander's prone form, still holding the knife at the ready. She offered him a hand with a grunt, and he took it, moaning a bit when she hauled him roughly to his feet.

"If this is the real Xander, then why did the test results show differently? I mean, there were some DNA traces but nothing like it should be..." Willow had turned to Amy as she said this. She suddenly startled everyone by beginning an incantation. Giles and Buffy each grabbed one of her arms.

"All concealed, now revealed...all concealed, now revealed..."

"Willow, stop!" Buffy shouted.

"Have you gone insane? We're in a hospital, do you want to get arrested?" Giles asked more softly, through clenched teeth. Willow ignored them both and continued to chant, never taking her eyes from Amy, who startled the others by turning to run. Lili released Xander and ran after Amy.

"All concealed, now revealed...all concealed, now revealed..." Lili had already grabbed hold of Amy as Willow's spell took effect. Xander gasped with the others as Amy disappeared, a small grayish green-skinned demon in her place. Struggling in Lili's arms, the genderless shapeshifter regarded them all scornfully.

"What have you done with my wife?" a very pale Giles asked, his teeth clenched in anger. The minion laughed scornfully.

"My master had uses for your witch. I've taken her place for some time; you were easy to fool." Spying security guards coming to check on the commotion and probably the unauthorized use of magick, Lili dragged the shape-shifter into the closest room, which happened to be Dawn's. The others followed, Xander bringing up the rear. No one was paying attention to him any longer in the wake of this new development.

"You...you set me up. You wanted me to kill Xander. Why?" Lili asked, holding the knife firmly to the minion's throat.

"I'll tell you nothing. The master's brilliance allowed for my failure in this. You will know his revenge. You have already created your own destruction."

"For some one who's telling us nothing, you sure do talk a lot," Buffy drawled. At that moment Anya sneaked a worried look at her husband and gasped.

"Oh my God...Xander!" All eyes turned towards him, their faces filled with surprise and some measure of alarm.

"What? Oh, please tell me we're not back to the whole 'not Xander' thing, because I don't know if I can..."

"No, Xander...you're definitely Xander...but you're not the same Xander," Willow said slowly. Xander gave her a puzzled frown as Buffy fished a mirrored compact out of her purse and wordlessly handed it to him.

"You're the Xander we knew ten and a half years ago. Except for the big bruise on your forehead, but I remember you had that after the accident. Xander I don't think you lost your memory after all," Buffy stated.

"But if I'm here, in the future, then the future me is..." Xander trailed off as all looked at the minion. From its triumphant silence it was clearly not planning on speaking further.

"I'm afraid...I think the Xander from this time might be back in the past," Giles said shakily. He couldn't stop staring at the minion, but he was making an obvious effort to stay focused on the problem at hand.

"Time travel? I didn't think that was possible," Lili stated.

"There are some spells...oh my God, Giles! If Xander is in the past, and he's been infected with HVE..." Willow trailed off, a look of horror on her face soon mirrored by the others as they caught her train of thought.

"He'll die," Anya whispered.

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Feedback please!


	6. Six

Disclaimer: I own no one and nothing, especially the characters in this story. I'm merely borrowing them for the pure pleasure of messing with their lives.

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The group stared at each other in shock and dismay. The revelation that the Xander they knew and loved had been somehow sent to the past while infected with the disease that had almost destroyed the human race had everyone on the verge of panic.

"He'll spread the epidemic that much sooner if no one figures it out..." Buffy cried.

"Yes, and why would they...at that time, A-amy was still a rat..." Giles stammered. The minion was eyeing them all with an infuriating air of amusement.

"Pitiful humans, thinking your could ever triumph over Menckar! He is more powerful than you could ever comprehend...but soon we will no longer be troubled by your infestation..."

"Yeah, blah blah blah, sing us a new one," Buffy said harshly. All eyes turned to Willow.

"Willow, you said there was a spell...could you switch the Xanders back?" Buffy spoke the thought they all shared aloud. Willow tilted her head, thinking hard.

"I think Tara and I could, if we did it together..." she trailed off as the minion began to laugh derisively. Willow looked like someone had just punched her hard. "Oh my goddess...not Tara..." The shapeshifter nodded, clearly pleased with her dismay.

"Menckar took your witch. So easily fooled, you humans. He would not leave such things to chance. And you had best beware, little witch. Your own people will stop you."

"Great. Demons that like irony. I hate that." Xander groused. The news that his future self was in the past, and possibly dying, was understandably not sitting very well. He looked at Willow and Giles' stricken faces, and felt his anger growing exponentially. "Tell me why? Why me?" The minion only laughed again, until Lili did something Xander couldn't see and it started choking.

"Please don't cooperate, it would ruin my fun," Lili hissed, and Xander was again reminded of Faith. "I'd much rather kill you." The minion at least no longer seemed inclined to laugh.

"Why switch me with my future self? If Menckar could affect time travel, why not just send one of these minions back with a big vial of Houdini flu to do everyone in," Xander asked. The others all shook their heads, looking down as they pondering the situation. Just as Giles appeared about to speak, Buffy's head shot up. She locked eyes with Xander, and he realized he had never seen her that terrified. He also knew what she was going to say before she said it, because he knew of only one thing that could put that kind of fear in her.

"Oh my God, the children! Tara's with the children!" Willow quickly touched her sleeve, seeming to Xander to be listening to something. Everyone else seemed to be watching her with tense expectation. 

"What's she doing?" he asked.

"She's calling the house," Buffy answered tersely. Xander shook his head gingerly. This was another one of these strange future things. After a moment Willow mirrored his action, her already pale face now ashen.

"No answer." They immediately made a beeline for the exit, Lili continuing to drag along the minion to the surprised looks of the nurses and patients in the corridor. Willow's spell had bound the shapeshifter from changing into any other form, and it seemed to be finally panicking.

"Free me! My master will triumph, you will know devastation...and you will not know the destruction, but you have been its creators..."

"What does that mean?" Lili asked, the frustration clearly sounding in her voice.

"There is no end to the power the Master wields. All has been done as he has foretold. His victory is at hand, no one can stop-" At Giles' quick nod, Lili twisted the neck of the minion, and it fell dead at her feet. She kept moving quickly with the others, never missing a step. 

"That was probably rash, Lili, but..." Giles' voice was raw with pain, and Willow put her hand on his arm, her eyes tearful but still holding hope.

"Tara is still alive, Giles...I can't explain how I know it, but I do. If she's still alive, then Amy probably is too. We'll get them back...and we'll destroy him once and for all." They were piling hastily into the van, with Giles barely waiting for the doors to close before screeching off towards Buffy and Angel's house. 

"We have to save Xander, too...my Xander!" Anya added in a trembling voice, her fear for her children making her shake all over. Xander put a reassuring arm around her shoulder.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay...we'll get there in time. The kids will be fine...and we'll get me all switched back where I belong, too." He cupped his hand under her chin and forced her to look him in the eye. "You're just so beautiful, Ahn," he whispered in soft amazement. "If being your husband is what my future holds, trust me, I'm not gonna miss it. Will can get it done, I know she can. She's got so much in the witchy powers she won't even break a sweat!" Willow looked at him mournfully.

"I don't know, Xander...the...the...it was right, I can't do it, not alone. We have to get Tara back, and Amy...we have to do that before we try to change you back."

"But...and I'm not sure how else to put this...but do we have time? If the other me is sick..." Anya suddenly gasped, her eyes somehow horrified and distant at the same time.

"You _were_ sick...I remember...we were quarantined after the accident..."

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December 9, 2000

The Scooby gang sat disconsolately in the waiting room. Buffy couldn't help but remember how they had all been in the same place not so long ago, waiting for word on her mother. She prayed that the news about her best friend came back as well.

Tara had her arms tightly around Willow. The red-haired witch hadn't stopped crying since they had first received the news. Buffy wanted to talk to her, but there was nothing to say, really. Not until they knew more. She raged against the stupidity of it all...after years of facing countless dangers, plunging headfirst into a fight that he neither had the skills nor natural abilities to win and emerging relatively unscathed, a stupid accident might...no, she wouldn't allow herself to even think it. Xander would be fine. He had to be fine. He had to be.

Dawn was sitting straight up, her face pale and drawn. Buffy sat next to her and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. She knew her sister was going through as much as she was...plus the recent run in with Glory and discovery that she was the Key had to be weighing heavily on her mind. Dawn looked at Buffy and gave her a thin smile, the smile of a girl who had seen too much. It made Buffy want to weep fresh tears just seeing that look on her sister's face.

Giles was desperately trying to calm a hysterical Anya. Ever since she had received the call none of them had been able to understand what the girl was talking about. Something about warnings and dreams and bunnies and vengeance. Now she was simply sobbing on Giles' shoulder, mumbling Xander's name in between her hitching breaths. Giles was holding her awkwardly, but his expression was as grave as Buffy's own. He was deeply worried about the young man.

Buffy saw Ben approaching from the room where they had taken Xander and brightened. At least a friendly face was coming to give them the news. Ben was frowning, although he did give Buffy a slight smile as he got closer. The clear concern etched on his face made all Scooby hearts sink.

"Ben, what's happening? How is he? It's been hours!" Dawn asked the question, her desperate concern for her longtime crush making her unwilling to wait for one of the others to question the intern. Ben gave her an affectionate glance.

"Well, there's some good news...there's no real sign of serious head trauma, no sign of concussion at all...it's funny, from the way witnesses described the accident, and from the bruising and contusions, we really expected head trauma." Ben was really speaking to himself more than to the others, but his attention snapped back at Anya's frantic question.

"He's alright...that's what you're saying...he's going to be fine," Anya said in a little voice, still clinging tightly to Giles' arm. Ben looked at her with a puzzled look. Buffy felt her body tense. She instinctively knew really bad news was coming.

"There's a complication. Xander had a fever when they brought him in. We've got him on antibiotics, but it won't go down...and he hasn't regained consciousness. Without head trauma, we don't know how to account for that. He's been mumbling something about someone named Amy...does that mean anything to you?"

"You've got to be...I'll kill him! And this Amy, whoever she is!" Anya went rapidly from concern to anger, with Giles' arm bearing the brunt of the pain. He extricated his violated limb as carefully as he could.

"Anya, Amy's a rat, remember? My p-pet rat?" Willow admonished, faltering over the description of the witch turned rodent. Giles turned to the doctor.

"You say he just suddenly developed this illness...could it be an infection of some kind?"

"That's the strangest thing...all the signs we're seeing seem to indicate that Xander's been sick for some time, yet you say he showed no symptoms before now, and I mean, I saw him, he was fine," Ben said, again thinking out loud. "They're moving him into quarantine until we figure out what it is we're dealing with...and we've contacted the CDC, they're sending people to Sunnydale."

"CDC...you mean the Center for Disease Control," Tara said suddenly. The others turned to her, surprised to hear her speak. "You think it's contagious."

"We don't know what to think...but for right now, we need to isolate anyone who's been in contact with Xander Harris for the last 48 hours, and that means all of you." The Scoobies all eyed each other in dismay as an unseen observer chuckled.

"Her Magnificence will be interested in this news...the Slayer in quarantine, unable to protect the Key. The Most Supple and Pleasing Glorificus will be most delighted!" Murk faded into the shadows. His goddess would assume her rightful form soon, and he would be the one to give her the information that would help her find her Key. He truly felt this might be his best day as a minion.

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June 19, 2011

The van came to a screeching halt in front of Buffy's house, but no one moved. Everyone was staring into space with that remembering look that Anya had had, except for Lili, who simply looked confused. Looking up at the house, Xander saw that the door was wide open and his heart leapt into this throat. He climbed over Willow to get out of the van, throwing the door open and running from the van.

"Come on, people, no time for this...we have to make sure that the..." Xander trailed off as he entered the house. There was no sign of the children. No toys, no cribs, nothing. There was no sign that the children had ever been there at all.

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Feedback please!


	7. Seven

Disclaimer: I own no one, most especially the characters in this story. I'm merely borrowing them and putting them through the proverbial blender I call story.

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December 9, 2000

"Giles, do something...I can't be quarantined! I'm the Slayer!" Buffy was pacing as much as was possible in the small room. She was growing impatient with her Watcher's casual acceptance of their fate.

"What would you suggest I do, Buffy? I can't exactly say we should be able to potentially spread the plague about Sunnydale because you have a sacred duty to protect the world from evil. We'll end up quarantined in the psych ward." Buffy turned away, looking helpless. She really wanted to hit something, but she knew that would just make matters worse. Where were the vampires when you really needed them?

"Just once I'd like this job to come with some privileges. Or even a. A privilege." 

Immediately after being informed of Xander's condition they had been hustled into a room off of the main waiting area. That had been over an hour ago, and no one had bothered to tell them a thing since. Buffy could see Ben through the small pane of glass on the door; he was talking with a gaggle of other doctors and two nurses in the corridor. All of them were busily donning protective gear that made them look like astronauts. Giles couldn't help but notice that many of them kept glancing nervously at the room that held the small group of Scoobies. Anya grabbed hold of Giles' hand, startling him. Seeing the extreme fright in her eyes, he simply patted her hand soothingly without saying anything. She closed her eyes, a fresh round of tears beginning to flow.

"Whatever Xander's got, it's so not good," Tara murmured to Willow. Willow nodded, still teary herself.

"Poor Xander...he hates being sick...and what if they can't help him? I don't think they think they can."

"Why do you say that?" Dawn whispered to Willow, her sensitive ears having picked up that last comment. Tara answered in a low voice instead, tilting her head towards the door. Beyond Ben and his group they could see passing hospital workers, all of whom were making furtive glances into the room as they were practically running to get away from it. Tara gestured at the doctors and nurses that were now clothed like the cast from Outbreak.

"Look at them. They're scared of us. I think they're scared of getting whatever it is." Dawn and Willow both looked at the medical personnel that were eyeing them warily. Dawn gulped.

"I'm scared of getting whatever it is," Dawn said in a small voice. They all instinctively formed a tight circle around her as the doctors entered the room and approached.

"I know, Dawnie...it's gonna be okay," Tara soothed, putting her arm around the girl's shoulders. Buffy drew closer to her sister's side.

"Don't worry, we're gonna get out of this." Dawn tried to smile and settled for a quick nod instead. A doctor they did not know began to speak.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Gray. I'm sorry for the inconvenience here, folks, but we're gonna need to take blood samples and check some vitals. These nice ladies are going to do the honors, if you would come right this way..." Buffy searched the group for Ben, she trusted him more than this strange doctor. With them wearing all that protective gear it was hard to tell, but she couldn't...she frowned.

"Ben? Where is Ben?" she asked. The doctors and nurses looked at each other, then the doctor who had been speaking snorted in annoyance.

"Not again. This has got to stop. And to do it now...he knows better than to...did anyone see where Ben went?" Everyone either shrugged or shook their heads, a comical effect in the bulky suits. "I'll deal with this later...right now let's get those blood samples and examinations done...then we'll get you all settled."

"H-how's Xander?" Anya asked, her voice still hitching with sobs. The doctor looked at her sympathetically.

"I'm very sorry. We're doing everything we know how, but...I'm afraid he's getting worse."

*************************************

June 19, 2011

Xander felt like he couldn't breathe. The children were gone.

Check that. His children were gone. Okay, they belonged to a version of himself that he hadn't gotten around to being yet, and he still couldn't get his brain around having had a kid with Cordelia Chase, but still...they were his kids. And they were the children of the women he cared most about in his life: Anya, Buffy, Willow, Tara...even Cordy. His eyes frantically searched the foyer for some kind of sign, some clue, anything...

"Xander?" He looked up at Angel, someone he had never expected to see in sunlight, even the rapidly fading kind that was filtering through the windows now.

"So it's true about you, and the being human thing. Okay, Live Guy, where are they?"

"Xander Harris?" 

"Okay, Live and Not Funny Guy. We don't have time for...time...this has something to do with that time travel thing, I know it. Hey, I need the smart people in here! Where is everybody?"

"Has Buffy seen you?" Angel asked urgently.

"Yes, she's seen me, she brought me here, we came to check on the k-" Xander was silenced by Angel's unexpected punch to his jaw. From his new vantage point on the ground, he stared up at the former vampire. His gaping mouth had a small trickle of blood in the corner. He brushed at it and looked at the redness on his fingers, then back at Angel in amazement. Angel was shaking in fury.

"You bastard. Where have you been for the past ten years?" Xander just stared. There was really only one way he could respond.

"Huh?"

*************************************

December 9, 2000

"Oh, Magnificent One! Excellent news!"

Glory sighed. She was bewildered, and she hated that feeling. She never used to have problems like confusion; it was one more nasty side effect of this grotesque human imprisonment. She glared at the bumpy minion with enough irritation to bring him screeching to a less than certain halt.

"Tell me something. What is up with Ben?" She held out the protective suit like it was a used towel. "His taste in clothes has always been pretty rotten, but this is just...ugh!" She flung the discarded garment at Murk's head, causing him to have to scramble backwards. She eyed him impatiently. "So. News? It'd better be about my Key."

"Yes...it is, Your Highly Fashionableness...in a way."

"In a way?" Glory's tone made is clear that she was displeased with the qualifier.

"Why, yes, oh Most Splendid and Well-Shaped One, it is news of the Slayer. She has been quarantined." Glory ran her fingers through her blonde hair. Why could these minions never just come out and explain themselves?

"What are you saying? The Slayer's sick?"

"Well, she did not appear to be...but apparently one of her companions has been struck ill with some strange human affliction. Quite probably fatal."

"And they think it's catching, right?" Murk smiled widely. Oh, he had definitely outdone himself, the goddess appeared well pleased.

"Most certainly, oh Brilliant and Wondrous One." The smile on Glory's face vanished, being instantly replaced by a glower of anger. Murk jumped.

"And Ben works at the hospital."

"Well..."

"And he could catch this strange human affliction, and get all dead, and take me there with him, you moron! Hello? Then it won't really matter if I find the Key. No wonder he was dressed like a beekeeper!" The last comment was more to herself, as she felt the pleasure of solving the mystery. Almost as good as a real brain-suck, the relief of losing that confusion.

"You are correct as always, Most Generous and Splendid Glorificus." Murk hung his head. This hadn't gone at all the way he had thought it would. Glory had begun to pace languidly, lost in thought. She stopped and suddenly turned to Murk.

"We have to save that stupid boy from himself." The minion brightened. This was an opportunity to redeem the situation.

"We will save Ben, Your Most Excellent Succulentness. No harm shall come to he who houses Your Indescribableness. Indeed we must...we will...err, what would you have us do?" Glory approached the minion with exaggerated patience. She grabbed him by the ear.

"Get the Slayer's friend. The one who's all dying. You're gonna get rid of him." To Murk's relief she released him and turned away, enjoying what she saw as the benefits of this new situation. "Problem solved, Slayer still out of commission...and then you'll find my Key, won't you?" Murk nodded happily. She tilted her head at him in exasperation.

"Now!" Murk scurried off to collect Jinx and Dreg. He would need help to carry out Glory's wishes, but when the time came he would make certain she remembered who had served her the most faithfully.

*************************************

June 19, 2011

"Oh my God!" Buffy and Willow cried out in unison as they saw the infuriated ex-vampire standing over their friend. Giles and Lili trailed in behind them, and also stood speechless.

"Okay, Buffy, I don't mean to quibble, but when you were telling me about Angel and his shiatsu, you could have mentioned that it made him INSANE. I'm just saying..."

"Oh my God!" Buffy repeated, tears springing to her eyes. Xander scrambled to his feet quickly, still upset but knowing he needed to put his feelings aside. Buffy was staring at him with devastation in her eyes. Willow just gave a soft whimper. He approached them, trying to quell the panic he knew they were feeling over the missing children.

"It's gonna be okay, Buff, really. I'm fine. I was just trying to find out what the Prince of Darkness here knows about our-oooof!" Xander found himself flying across the room. He made a less than graceful landing on a small sofa and lay sprawled across it, trying to get his breath back. Xander's mind was reeling. He had just been hit with the strength of a Slayer and the blow had come from- "Buffy?"

"You bastard. How could you do this to your friends? You vanish for ten years, let us think you're dead, and the whole time you're...what? Where have you been?" Buffy was practically screaming. Angel had put his arm around her and was still giving him that deadly stare. A low moan was the only warning before Willow collapsed in a faint. Giles only just managed to catch her in time. Lili was staring at him like he was a stranger, which was almost laughable irony. Realization hit him like another blow to the stomach.

"Oh God, the kids...the kids are gone because they were never here, because it's all been changed...I guess something must have happened to me. Not to me me, to the Xander that is me here now, but the me that you know, only you don't know that Xander any more, because...help?" Xander's last word came out as a whispered plea.

The unlikely answer to his prayers came walking in with an armload of groceries a second later. Spike studied the strange tableau before him for a long moment, then shook his head.

"Alright, I give up. What's this, then? And where the bloody hell are the children?"

*************************************

Feedback please!


	8. Eight

Disclaimer: I own no one, most especially the characters in this story. I'm merely borrowing them and putting them through the proverbial blender I call story.

**************************************

June 19, 2011

Tara raised her head and wiped away the tears that had just escaped. She knew that Willow hadn't noticed she had been replaced. It hurt, even though she knew that the shapeshifters were almost impossible to detect. She hadn't known it wasn't Amy when she had been taken, but still... She shifted her concentration to the sleeping bodies that were now huddled against her and against Amy. She was cradling Savannah in her lap, with Jenny and Frankie snug against her and Jesse resting his head on Frankie's shoulder; Amy had Joy, Missy, Ross and Danny all sleeping with their heads on her ample stomach like a pillow. The baby was nearby, and they had been taking turns with him, keeping him as comfortable as possible in the cramped muggy space. Looking down, her eyes met Frankie's equally tear-filled ones. She should have known he wouldn't be asleep.

"What is it, Frankie?" she murmured softly. He was carefully not moving to avoid disturbing his brother, she noted proudly.

"My mommy doesn't know about me anymore," he whispered. Tara sighed. The other children didn't really get what Menckar had told them, but Frankie was as perceptive as his mother and twice as smart, and he had figured that part of it out.

"No, she probably doesn't, honey. But she will. We're going to fix this, and we're going to get out of here. Your daddy's going to come."

"My daddy doesn't know me either, cause he's from before. He's not really my daddy now."

"But he still loves you, Frankie." The boy looked at her doubtfully. "Listen, you forget how long I've known your daddy. I knew him from before, and the Xander Harris I knew then would stop at nothing to rescue the people he loved from danger. He's not going to give up till he finds us. Don't you give up on him." As the boy nodded and lay his head back down, Tara repressed another sigh. *For Goddess' sake, don't make a liar out of me, Xander.*

Menckar had told them he was planning to let Xander come to him. Tara knew he had a purpose for her, but that Amy was just being kept alive to help keep the children calm and comfortable until Xander arrived. Tara couldn't understand why. Why was it so important that Xander come? And what use did the demon have for their children? She had seen the way that Menckar had eyed her stomach almost greedily, whereas he gave Amy's much more ample middle no attention whatsoever. Clearly Xander Harris' children were important to him, but why? She held Savannah even tighter, and the little girl stirred and gave a little cry. Tara forced herself to relax.

"Sorry, baby. Mommy's not gonna let anything happen to you." Tara gave her daughter's forehead a soft kiss, all the while repeating in her head what she had said to Frankie. *He's not going to give up on us. He's not going to give up.*

*************************************

"I give up." Xander had his head buried in his hands. Spike knew about the children, which threw what little understanding he had of the situation out the proverbial window.

"Spike. What the hell are you doing here?" Buffy was eyeing the vampire coldly. Spike simply stared back at her nonplussed.

"Cordelia called me, luv. Said she needed help with the ever-increasing Harris spawn, and now I come in to this." At the mention of Cordelia's name both Angel and Buffy reacted violently. Buffy whirled to glare at Angel, who in turn glowered at Spike while stealing quick guilty glances at his wife.

"Cordelia. I thought she was out of our lives, honey," The bitterness in Buffy's tone was evident to Xander, who realized with a start that something else had been changed.

"Don't tell me Angel did the horizontal mambo with Cordelia!" he choked out. Spike snorted.

"Not bloody likely. She hasn't let anybody near her fine self since you got all sweaty with her."

"You slept with Cordy?" Angel asked, jealousy apparent in his tone. Buffy hit him on the arm, causing him to wince and nearly fall over.

"Umm...a little help here, please," Giles groaned, still supporting the slumped body of the forgotten and still unconscious Willow. Lili lifted the redhead from his arms and deposited her gently on the sofa from which Xander had just risen, moving his battered body with painful slowness. He stood over his friend worriedly.

"Is she okay?" At his soft question, Willow stirred. She blinked a couple of times and then reached up to touch his face.

"Xander...it's really you!" she cried. "You look...the same, except for, you know, the bruising and bleeding."

"Right. No, wrong. Will, this is wrong...do you remember why you were on your way over here? And where's Anya?"

"We were looking for Tara. She's been replaced with a shapeshifter," Willow answered dully. Although worried about Tara, Xander was relieved that at least that hadn't changed.

"Don't tell him anything!" Buffy hissed angrily. Xander gave her an exasperated look. She simply glared in return.

"Anya? You mean Anyanka, vengeance demon...she went back to D'Hoffryn after you disappeared." Giles' tone was puzzled. Buffy's eyes lit up as if she'd put something together.

"Cordelia summoned Anyanka to seek revenge against Angel, and she brought back Xander to do it!" she cried triumphantly. Spike just stared at her, then turned to Xander.

"Okay, everyone here has gone insane, with the possible exception of you, Harris. Care to take it from the top? By the way, you're looking all better from your little flu bug. And what did you do to your hair, you look different." Xander sighed.

"It's a really long story, but here's the short version: I'm not the Xander Harris you know now, I'm the Xander that they all think disappeared ten years ago. The Xander from now is back in the then that's my now, I mean, in the past where I'm supposed to be, only something must have happened to him and now everyone thinks I've been gone for the last ten years, Anya and Cordy are gone and the kids...I'm not sure the kids even exist anymore."

"That's the short version?" Lili asked the room at large. Buffy and Angel exchanged puzzled looks.

"The children don't exist? The hell they don't!" Spike answered angrily. "Those kids are still around somewhere, I can feel it. And Menckar's gone to an awful lot of trouble to get his grubby demon paws on them!"

"So...all of our memories for the last ten years...they're wrong?" Giles asked tentatively. Xander nodded in relief. 

"Yes, exactly, that's it. I never died, I never disappeared, Giles. According to everything you guys told me earlier today, I ended up being the father to nine-"

"Ten," Spike interrupted to correct him. At Xander's puzzled look he cocked an eyebrow in amusement. "Red's girl's got one of your buns in her oven, hasn't she?"

"Tara's pregnant?" Willow's face was almost a caricature of shock.

"That's right!" Xander answered. "And now Menckar's got her. Amy, too."

"How did you know about Amy?" Giles asked furiously.

"I was there! Just now! When Lili grabbed the funky demon thing and it kept blabbing on about having created our destruction...oh, no." Xander's face had gone pale.

"What is it?" Spike asked tersely.

"Created our own destruction...I think..." Xander swallowed hard and stared at Spike in horror.

"I don't think I like it when you think," Spike responded.

"Menckar's going to do something...something that involves my kids. Something horrible."

*************************************

December 9, 2000

Despite the large number of doctors and nurses running about and the tight security surrounding him, Murk, Jinx and Dreg found it surprisingly simple to reach Xander Harris' room. It seemed that the Sunnydale medical community found it quite easy to ignore three bumpy crusty minions that appeared to be something out of a Grimm fairy tale. What shouldn't be, wasn't. And that was how they reached the door with relative effortlessness. They huddled briefly outside, Jinx and Dreg deferring to Murk to explain their next move.

"What are we to do now?" Jinx asked softly. Murk puffed up a bit in pride as he reveled in being the one to convey the goddess' wishes to the others.

"Her Spectacular Quick-Wittedness made her wishes quite clear. We are to get rid of the boy, taking him as far away from Ben as possible."

"What shall we do with him?" Dreg asked.

"We shall first remove him from the hospital. Then when we have taken him as far away from Ben as we can, we shall kill him." The other two minions nodded, then carefully crept to the doorway. Peeking in the small window, Jinx could only see a bit of dark hair over the top of the sheets.

"He appears to be sleeping. That should make it easier." Murk nodded in satisfaction.

"His affliction should keep his struggles manageable. Let us go, quickly!" The three minions entered the room and came to the bed. No movement came from the bed. Dreg reached for the body, finding it surprisingly light. He could lift it without assistance from the others, and did so, keeping it covered with the bed sheet.

"I thought the human would be heavier," he said. Murk's face clouded over. With one swift motion he pulled the sheet off of what Dreg held. It was a CPR dummy, and a female one at that. Murk hissed. They had been tricked. The human known as Xander Harris was gone.

*************************************

Feedback please!


	9. Nine

Disclaimer: I own no one, most especially the characters in this story. I'm merely borrowing them and putting them through the proverbial blender I call story.

**************************************

June 19, 2001

"What do you mean, something horrible?" Spike asked. Xander shook his head.

"It's just a feeling...I don't know."

"Xander shows up out of nowhere and the two of you are talking complete nonsense...I still say that Cordelia's done something bad here," Buffy said stubbornly. Angel rolled his eyes as Willow sighed.

"I don't think so...there's something about my memories, something that doesn't feel right. Don't you feel it?" Willow's brow furrowed, as if almost capturing a memory. Xander leaned in closer to her, his eyes encouraging. She looked up at him and gasped. "Xander...you're alive!"

"We covered that ground just a second ago, Will," Xander replied in confusion. He looked up at the murderous glares of Buffy and Angel, and at the shocked looks of the others. Spike's face showed a dawning understanding.

"C'mon, Harris, let's get you out of here before they kill you. You're wasting your breath." Xander instinctively went to protest, but remembering how he had just been punched and thrown a few minutes earlier he hastened to run out the door with Spike at his heels. Spike called out to him after a few minutes. "Harris, here. We'll take me car." Xander turned and saw Spike standing next to a shiny black car of the hovering variety he had seen earlier, windows tinted beyond black. He stared at it dumbfounded, but climbed in. Punk rock music blasted inside as Spike took off, but after a look of abject misery from Xander he turned it off.

"Thank you. My head is only barely attached right now." Xander made every effort to ignore the speed with which they were traveling. The view out the window was blurry, so instead he concentrated on looking at his unlikely partner. "I don't get why you're not affected by whatever's going on here. I mean, apparently I've changed time somehow." Spike shook his head.

"That's just it. I'm betting you haven't, not really." He paused and lit a cigarette, looking at it in amusement. "It's a good thing I've got money now, 'cause these things are worth more than this car. But I can't seem to give them up. Funny, huh?" A thought occurred to him and he brightened. "Hey, you don't suppose...nope, never mind. Geez, Harris, if you had to change your future, you couldn't drop the price of cigarettes?"

"Wait, you just said I haven't changed the future, and now you say I have." Xander cradled his aching head in his hands.

"Okay, it's like this, see. Being a vampire seems to make me immune from some spells. I think it's because I'm dead, but I don't really know. Don't specially care, either. I wasn't aware that things had changed at all until I entered that screwy house. But now I can remember the changed future too...it's like a second set of memories, or something. Only the real memories feel more real to me, the fake stuff feels like some kind of dream I had. I'm happy to say I'm filthy rich in both realities, so kudos to you for not screwing that up for me."

"Okay...I think that clears it up, or maybe I'm just too tired to care. I only have one other question." Spike smirked at his companion as he continued to careen down the highway.

"Only one?"

"For right now...Spike, what do we do now?" The silence that greeted the question didn't surprise Xander. "That's what I thought...you don't know either."

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December 9, 2000

Buffy felt the wrongness before it became apparent to the others. She had spent years honing her 'spidey sense'; she could feel trouble practically hanging in the air. Something very bad was happening. They could all see the swarm of doctors, nurses and security guards running towards the direction of ICU. Buffy knew that the bad something she was sensing involved Xander. From the grim expressions on the faces around her she knew the others had reached the same conclusion. Fear gripped Buffy but she struggled not to let the others know. When she turned to Giles, all that showed on her face was determination.

"I've got to get out of here, Giles. There's badness going on here...I've got to find out what's the what." Buffy nearly fainted from surprise at his response.

"Yes, you're right. The question is how."

"I have an idea," Tara said, so quietly that at first no one reacted. Almost as one they turned in her direction and stared expectantly. She blushed to her roots at the sudden attention, and Willow squeezed her arm encouragingly.

"What is it, Tara?" Willow asked.

"The translocation spell," Tara murmured. At their horrified expressions, she hastened to continue. "Willow and I modified the spell for Glory, that's why it was so out of control."

"That's right," Willow chimed in excitedly. "I was trying to get Glory as far away from us as possible. To move Buffy within the hospital...that's easy for the two of us. No nosebleed easy."

"Well, I'm not sure it's really that simple," Tara corrected gently. "The heavier the object, the harder it is to do the spell."

"Tara, are you saying I'm fat?" Buffy asked half-jokingly. She waved off Tara's stammered protestations, giving the idea full consideration. It sounded risky, but it also seemed to be the best plan they had at this point. Buffy trusted her friends. And she had to get to Xander now. "Willow, can you send me to Xander's room?"

"Yes."

"Then I say let's do it. I get a feeling we're on the clock here, you know?" Willow and Tara nodded and stepped aside to prepare. Buffy took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She was a bit nervous about letting a spell be cast on her, but a bigger part of her was just happy to be doing something. She opened her eyes when she felt a tug on her sleeve. She was surprised to see Anya tearfully clutching her arm.

"When you see Xander, tell him I love him." Buffy nodded, trying to give her a reassuring smile.

"I will, Anya. But he already knows." Buffy pulled the former demon into a hug. It felt strange for a second, then it felt pretty good. Bittersweet. She knew that Xander would be happy if he could see his friends embracing his girlfriend. He should have been there to see it.

"Are you ready, Buffy?" Tara's question caused Anya to let go, and Buffy looked at Giles and Dawn for a moment. Dawn looked petrified, and Giles polished his glasses gravely.

"Tara, Willow, are you both quite certain you can do this?" Giles asked quietly. Willow and Tara exchanged glances, then smiled and nodded.

"Tara's right," Willow said, "it's not as easy as I made it sound earlier, but we can do it." 

Buffy walked over to the witches then paused uncertainly.

"What do I do?"

"Just stay where you are, Buffy. This will only take a few seconds." Willow and Tara began chanting the spell under their breath, and after a few moments they tossed the glittery powder on Buffy. Willow clapped her hands and said "Transfere." Buffy heard Dawn's gasp as she disappeared...

...only reappear an instant later in Xander's room. The spell had definitely worked. There was just one small problem: she was hovering about five feet over Xander's bed. She only had time to give a quick yell as she plummeted, executing a quick tuck in the air so as to avoid landing on her friend. She landed on her feet by the bed and froze in shock. The bed was empty. No Xander.

"What the-"

"Don't move!" A very jittery doctor and a paunchy security guard both blundered into the room, blocking the only means of escape. Buffy was too upset about Xander to care about how much trouble she was in now.

"Where's my friend?" she asked sharply. The two men exchanged bewildered looks.

"How did you get in here?" The guard countered.

"I asked first." She heard a gasp and knew that the doctor had recognized her. It was all she could do to suppress a groan.

"She's one of the people we put in quarantine. There's no way she could have gotten past the guards and the medical staff...what are you people, magicians or something?"

"Or something...look, are you going to tell me what happened to Xander Harris?" The doctor shrugged, scratching his balding head.

"Damned if we know. He's disappeared. If you have any idea where he might be, you've got to tell us. He needs to be in the hospital, and if what he has is contagious, there might be an epidemic that we won't be able to stop."

***************************

As he passed the sign saying he was leaving Sunnydale City Limits, Ben drove faster than he had ever dared before. He only spared short sideways glances at his passenger. He spoke to the unconscious man even though he knew he was beyond hearing. He spoke because it made him feel a little less nervous. And because his guilt over what he was about to do drove him to explain.

"I don't know why they were after you, but it must mean Glory's involved in this somehow. I can't let her start a plague; you understand that, right? Whatever it is she's done to you, it's got to end with you. I don't really want to kill you, I think you're a great guy, but it's for the greater good. I can't let Glory get her hands on you...so that means I'm going to have to take care of this quickly, before she comes back. We're almost to the lake now. Just a few more minutes and it will be over."

His passenger moaned and to Ben's shock, actually regained consciousness. Ben laughed almost hysterically.

"Xander...hey, buddy, I didn't really expect you to wake up. Look, you're very sick, so try not to move, okay? I'm taking you somewhere you can get help." Xander opened his eyes, though they still lacked focus. He spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Ben."

"Yes, that's right, it's Ben."

"Dead." Ben took this for a question.

"Xander, you're not dead."

"You." He leaned towards Ben, who reached with one hand and pushed the feverish man back into his seat.

"You just need to relax, okay? We're almost there."

"No. Stopped. You." Ben frowned. Xander was obviously delirious. He had just begun to cross the bridge. When he stopped he would give Xander a little dose of Seconal before sending him into the lake. He didn't want the poor young man to suffer. No sooner had Ben completed this thought then Xander suddenly grabbed the steering wheel with surprising strength. As Ben tried desperately to regain control, the car careened off of the bridge. Ben screamed as his car plunged into the water below.

***************************

Feedback please!


	10. Ten

Disclaimer: I own no one, most especially the characters in this story. I'm merely borrowing them and putting them through the proverbial blender I call story.

**************************************

June 19, 2001

"I never said I didn't know what to do next," Spike admonished Xander.

"Do you?"

"I do. If the kids are still around, and I know that they are, and Menckar's got them, and we know that he does...we need to go to Menckar." Spike shook his head and laughed. "Definitely been spendin' too much time with you lot. Sound just like you." Xander rolled his eyes.

"Great plan, blondie. I suppose Menckar's listed, we'll just dial demon 411 and it'll send us right to him."

"Don't be daft. I have my sources. Not to worry, Harris, we'll find the bastard and get your brood back. And just maybe I'll get to settle an old score." There was raw pain in Spike's voice, Xander noted with surprise. He was curious, and also a little concerned. He consoled himself over his sudden consideration for the vampire by reminding himself that right now Spike was the only ally he had. When he got back to his own time, he could go back to treating the vampire with disdain.

"What old score?" Spike said nothing, but Xander could tell by the set of his jaw that this was something that meant a great deal to the vampire. "Does this have something to do with what happened to Buffy?" Xander guessed tentatively. Spike snorted in response.

"Hell no, not Buffy. I admire the girl, don't get me wrong, but she's not the one that Menckar's..." Spike trailed off and Xander realized who Spike was upset about. Not Buffy, but...

"Dawn? You and Dawn were...please tell me you didn't..."

"God, is everything about sex with you, Harris? No, of course we...the girl's like a kid sister to me! She was the first one of the lot of you that treated me like something other than dirt, too. And if wasn't for Dawn, I would never have found out..."

"What did you find out? Come on, I'm too much in the dark here as it is. We could write a novel of the things about my own life that I don't know."

"Fine. I would never have found out that I'm good with kids. There. Happy?"

"Wha?"

"I like kids! I like talking to them, and playing with them, and Sesame Bloody Street. Before Dawn I thought of you all as nothing more than part of a balanced diet."

"Happy Meals with legs, Buffy quoted you once."

"Yes, and kids were snack food. Dru used to love to take them and...never mind, anyway, I never had the fascination with them that she did. Dawn and I got really close; she was like a sister to me. She's got me my first babysitting gig. I loved it so much I ended up opening Sunnydale Safe Haven. Kid care for parents that work nights, or that just want to have an evening out and know the kids are in good hands."

"Good hands? Allstate hiring vampires now?"

"Wound up opening a whole chain of them across California and the Northwest," Spike continued as if Xander hadn't spoken. "Made a bloody fortune. Your brood alone is pretty much responsible for this lovely transport."

"Okay, about that...no one else seems to want to answer this question for me."

"You want to know about your eldest, about how it was that you and the Princess wound up doing the horizontal. What with you being all in love with Little Miss Vengeance."

"Yeah, that sums it up."

"Well, we've got time...relax, Harris. Let me tell you a story..."

***************************

December 9, 2001

He was dying. Ben could feel his essence slipping away, and for the first time in his life he wished that the hellgoddess, the parasite, the bane of his existence would take over. She could have gotten out of the sinking car easily, but he was trapped behind the steering wheel. As he felt consciousness slipping, he consoled himself that at least he wouldn't be going alone. With a great final effort he turned his head towards to passenger seat. Xander Harris had killed him, but he would get to watch him die...

Ben's head lolled to the side, his dead face showing his final expression of shock. He was alone in the car as it sank deeper into the murky water, his other half sharing his fate. At the same time a bedraggled figure crawled up onto shore a mile away. As he lost consciousness, the Xander Harris from the future spoke aloud into the growing darkness.

"S'wrong. Not s'posed here. Need help. Need Amy...bad...need Will. Need you, Willow..."

***************************

December 9, 2000

The faces of the Scoobies were almost a parody of disappointment as Buffy was led back into their midst. The doctors fixed all of them with suspicious glares as they departed, and a large contingent of security guards took up positions in the hallway.

"You were caught?" Giles asked unnecessarily. Buffy glared in response.

"Did you see Xander? How is he?" Anya asked before Buffy could make with a sarcastic retort. She swallowed, not sure how to tell the others her news.

"Xander's gone," she said, then at the grief-stricken expressions on the others' faces and the deafening howl that came from Anya, hastened to add, "no, no, no! Gone from the hospital. He's disappeared. No one knows what happened to him. They found me in his room, now they think we're some kind of circus freaks."

"Well, that's insulting. I mean, look at our hands!" Willow mumbled. Tara and Giles fixed her with a puzzled look, and then decided not to pursue it. They were all upset.

"How could he have gotten out of the hospital?" Tara asked.

"Maybe he's not as sick as they thought," Dawn said hopefully, but Buffy shook her head.

"Maybe like we did with Buffy, some kind of magick?" Tara asked Giles, who shrugged.

"Perhaps. But he couldn't have done something like that alone; someone else would have to be involved. Which brings us to the main question. Why? To what purpose?"

"Glory? Using him to get to me." Buffy offered. They all exchanged uneasy glances.

"I'll kill her," Anya muttered. "If she harms one hair on his head, she's a dead hellgoddess, I don't care if she does kick Buffy's ass regularly..."

"Uncalled for, okay?" Buffy interrupted sharply.

"Giles, the doctor said Xander was muttering something about Amy. Could she have anything to do with this?" Willow asked thoughtfully.

"Have you managed to reverse the spell that's transformed her?" Giles asked.

"No, but I'm close, I know it." Tara started, remembering something Willow had told her recently.

"You said you made her s-smarter. Do you think she could...?" Willow shook her head, then shrugged.

"I don't know what to think. All I know is that Amy appears to possibly be involved."

"She's a rat, they carry diseases, right? Plagues? I know I used them to spread plagues..." Anya said, glaring at Willow, whose returned stare was deadly.

"Amy's a very clean rat, who's been in a cage for years. And is well cared for," Willow began huffily. "She's not carrying any diseases. Besides, I'm the one who spends all the time with her, and Tara. We'd have been sick before Xander." No sooner had she spoken Xander's name than Willow paled and swayed, starting to fall over. Tara grabbed her arms to steady her and found herself nearly supporting her weight.

"Willow? Willow, what's wrong?" Tara cried. Willow's eyes were half-closed and unfocused, and she was unresponsive.

"What's wrong with her? Is she sick?" Dawn asked Buffy in a small voice, and her sister put a comforting arm around her.

"I don't think so...Giles? What's happening?" Before Giles could answer, doctors and nurses in protective gear suddenly flooded the room, pushing a wheeled gurney. Two doctors pulled Willow away from Tara a bit roughly. They laid her on a table and began stripping off her clothes.

"What in heaven's name is the meaning of this?" Giles attempted to interrupt the doctors who were rapidly taking all manner of vitals from Willow, as well as numerous blood samples. He and the rest of Willow's friends were completely ignored.

"Her temperature's normal." one nurse called out, her voice slightly muffled by her headgear.

"I'm rushing these to the lab," called out a doctor, holding up the vials of Willow's blood as she hurried from the room as fast as she could hampered by the protective suit.

"All vitals are normal," a young intern that vaguely resembled Oz added, removing his stethoscope with a look towards Dr. Gray. Buffy could tell he was frowning even through his protective suit. He leaned over Willow.

"Miss Rosenberg? Can you hear me?" Willow's eyes snapped fully open and she let out a little scream, jumping up from the table and pushing the doctors and nurses away. She looked down at her underwear-clad form and gave another little shriek. Tara ran to her, with Buffy close behind.

"Willow, it's okay!" Buffy said as they reached her, flanking her on both sides and putting their arms around her quivering shoulders. The redhead instantly began to calm down, but Buffy could feel her heart hammering in her chest. Whatever had just happened had scared Willow badly, but it was clear she did not want to discuss it in front of the doctors.

"Oh...oh!" Willow stammered, her eyes straying from face to face nervously. "Sorry I screamed, umm, I just was a little surprised...but I know you're wondering what just happened to me, and so I'm gonna tell you, because you need to know, as doctors and other medical people. I was...I was meditating. Yes, just harmless meditation, which I do sometimes...but I forgot to tell my friends I was gonna do it, so...oops...but it's all okay...I'm okay. Feel great, don't feel sick, nope not at all. Just a little cold, cause I'm sort of naked." One of the nurses handed Willow a blanket, which she accepted with a grateful nod. Tara and Buffy let go of her so she could wrap it around her shoulders.

"You don't look sick. You look great. Meditation, it's good for the complexion and stuff. She meditates a lot. Doesn't she look great," Buffy chimed in quickly.

"But she should know better than to not tell us, because she goes into these deep trances and it's scary if we don't know what's going on," Tara followed Willow and Buffy's lead, but her eyes met Willow's in confusion. A nurse handed Willow her clothes, now collected from the floor, and she turned away from them all to change quickly.

"Yes, well..." Dr. Gray began, but Dawn cut him off.

"When are you going to let us go? Our mother just got out of the hospital and she needs us to help her," she whined, grabbing hold of Buffy's arm. Buffy glared at the doctor, who although he knew nothing of the Slayer still blanched under that severe gaze.

"Xander's out there, and he's sick, and he might be hurt, or worse. You have to let me go! I have to find him!" Anya cried, nearly hysterical.

"We're of no use to you here, and I'm certain your tests have all come back negative," Giles added firmly. "Whatever Xander Harris has, we do not have. We're probably his best chance right now."

"All right!" Dr. Gray almost shouted, holding up his hands in protest. "I'm inclined to agree with you. If this last series we did on Miss Rosenberg comes back negative, once we've completed the necessary paperwork I'm inclined to let you all go home. You need to promise me you'll return immediately if any symptoms develop, and that if you do locate Mr. Harris you will bring him back to the hospital without delay."

"Fine," Giles said, speaking for the group.

"How long?" Willow asked. She had just finished putting all her clothes back on; there were buttons now missing from her blouse that required her to hold it closed with one hand. At the doctor's puzzled expression, she clarified, "How much longer do with have to stay here?"

"Just a couple more hours, Miss Rosenberg. Bear with us, we should have you out of here soon." It was all Buffy could do to contain herself until all of the various hospital people had finally left them alone again. When she was sure they were gone she almost exploded.

"Spill, Will. What's with the freaky fit?" Buffy asked.

"Are you alright?" Dawn asked quietly, and Willow nodded with a half-hearted smile. Her eyes were wide with excitement as she spoke.

"I saw Xander. I think I know where he is."

"Oh my God, you saw him?" Anya asked, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Is he all right?" Willow shook her head, and Anya nearly collapsed in Giles' arms.

"We should tell the doctors then, let them go get him..." Dawn began, but trailed off at Giles and Willow's looks.

"Not until we're sure, Dawnie. I've never had anything like this happen...I could be wrong." Willow's voice indicated she clearly doubted that she was wrong about this, but that there was more troubling her. Buffy sighed, wishing that Willow would just tell them everything at once. She knew that the witch was just working it through.

"How? Was it a spell?" Tara asked quietly. Willow turned to her and spoke in earnest. She felt like only the other witch might understand her experience.

"I'm not really sure. It felt kind of like a spell, but not like one I've done before. It felt like he reached out to me with his mind, somehow...it was strange. The closest thing I can think of to it was when you and I did that spell to find Buffy." Tara nodded as Willow continued. "It was really different, though. And there's something else, but I'm not sure how I can explain it. I know that I'm right about it. About it being wrong."

"What are you t-talking about?" Anya hiccupped, looking up from Giles' now sopping wet shoulder. "If this is about Xander, j-just say it!" Willow just shook her head, frowning.

"The man I touched minds with...Xander...he's Xander, but he's not our Xander."

***************************

June 19, 2001

"So then the mean ugly troll says to Daddy, 'Choose who will live, Aunt Anya or Aunt Willow?' and Daddy says, 'I will not choose, you can't make me. I'll die first!'" Frankie had the younger children enthralled in his retelling of the story, even though most of them had heard it repeatedly. Tara was glad that something was taking their mind off of what was happening. She was also glad that they had been given food so that none of the children was hungry. In fact, she had just finished feeding the baby. Burping him on her shoulder, she looked over at Amy, who grimaced. Neither of them wanted to admit it aloud, but the stress had taken its toll on the heavily pregnant witch. She was in premature labor.

"Did the troll hurt mommy?" Danny asked, wide-eyed, but his older sister Jenny put a comforting arm around him, looking every inch her mother. Tara had to smile, watching her. Thinking about Willow was almost more than she could bear. She missed her so.

"Daddy wouldn't let the troll hurt mommy or Aunt Anya, that's why he's a hero," Jenny stated confidently.

"What's a hero?" Savannah asked shyly.

"Someone who helps people," Ross answered, looking at his older brother Jesse for confirmation.

"People in trouble," Jesse agreed.

"Trouble," Missy echoed sagely.

"And who comes in and rescues people and kills the bad guys," Frankie said softly, and all the children nodded.

"My mommy was a hero once. But Daddy's gonna rescue us," Joy whispered to Savannah.

"When is Daddy coming?" Danny asked plaintively.

"When?" Missy echoed. The children were starting to get agitated again, and Tara placed the baby back in his bassinet and moved to gather Missy in her arms.

"Soon," Frankie soothed. "He'll be here soon. Anyway, the troll started to hurt Daddy, but he still wouldn't choose. Finally, Aunt Buffy, Aunt Willow and Aunt Anya helped Daddy beat the troll, and they sent him away forever." Mocking applause met the end of his story, and the eyes of everyone turned towards Menckar. All the children except Frankie and Jesse shrank back towards Amy and Tara as the demon approached.

"Such a wonderful story, Frankie. And never fear, children, your daddy is certainly on his way."

"Daddy's going to beat you. He's going to send you away forever!" Jesse cried from behind Frankie's shoulder, and Menckar did the most terrifying thing that Frankie could think of in response. He laughed. His clawed hands brushed the two oldest boys faces almost gently, and they shuddered.

"I do believe you're right, my boy. In fact, you might say I'm counting on it!"

***************************

Feedback please!


	11. Eleven

Author's Note: I'm working on a shorter fic to tell the story of how Frankie came to be born. Trust me, it would take WAY too long to explain and it's not important for the action here...and I promise that story will be posted soon. Bear with me, people, I'm writing as fast as I can!

Disclaimer: I own no one, most especially the characters in this story. I'm merely borrowing them and putting them through the ringer. And the lyrics are Lennon/McCartney, as I'm sure goes without saying, cause if you didn't already know that I'm not talking to you...

**************************************

June 19, 2011

"We're here, Harris."

Spike's quiet statement brought Xander back to the present. That the present was actually the future had not been lost on him, not by a long shot. Never more so than on the trip over. His eldest son had been conceived through a poor decision on his part coupled with an accidentally intercepted act intended to bring about great evil. Instead, Frankie had resulted, and Xander was more determined than ever to see that the correct timeline was restored. Thus resolved, he emerged from the car to look up and down a poorly lit and nearly deserted street. There was only one house surrounded by empty lots, so their destination was clear. Xander fell in behind Spike and followed him up a crumbling set of steps.

Having been preoccupied with Spike's story for the majority of the trip, he had no feeling for where they were. The house was large, sprawling, and appeared to be about to crumble at any given moment. Xander found himself growing a bit anxious about what kind of demon Spike had brought him to see. What kind of creature would dwell in a place like this?

Spike gave a single rap with the rusty knocker, then stepped back quickly. This proved to be a wise precaution, as the door swung open with a formidable bang. All Xander could see in the dim light was a crossbow aimed steadily at the vampire's heart.

"It's Spike, mate. It all happened just like you said. I brought him with me," Spike said soothingly, and the figure behind the crossbow stepped further into the light. Xander briefly tensed, fearing a trap, but then blinked in amazement. He had thought he was prepared for anything, but this was unexpected. The man before him looked so different than the man he had once known.

"Hello, Xander. You've come through the looking glass at last." The man gave him a welcoming grin. Xander struggled to return the smile.

"How've you been, Wesley?"

***************************

"What do you mean, you're counting on it?" Amy had managed to stand and was bravely facing the demon, having pushed in between Frankie and Jesse. The two children were still standing their ground despite the trembling she could feel in their fingers. Each were holding on to one of her arms. She looked down at them and saw they were both glaring at Menckar. Frankie's expression was totally Cordelia at her most, and Amy would have smiled if the situation wasn't so terribly frightening. Her baby was going to be born soon, and she had no idea how she would be able to protect it here.

"We've been over that before...oh, wait, is this the part where I'm supposed to tell you all about my sinister plan, and I let some crucial detail slip that tips the scales for the 'good guys'?" Menckar mocked, moving away from the children and the angry pregnant witch. "That's what happens in your entertainments, yes? Humans, so desperately in need of constant entertaining."

"Sounds like jealousy to me. Humanity has qualities you could never hope to imitate or understand." Tara replied, holding a whimpering Missy in her arms as Danny and Savannah clung to her legs. The other children were huddled together even further behind her. Fortunately the baby was still sleeping peacefully. She had to force herself not to look at Amy; they had no idea what Menckar would do if aware of Amy's condition.

"I make my own fun." Menckar's smile was cold and mocking, but Tara could see the fury flashing in his eyes. The eyes of the demon were the only part of him that was nearly human; they were heavy-lidded and a soft brown color. They terrified her more than the fangs and claws and strange pale blue scales that made up the form of the demon. She saw madness there, and knew that reasoning with the demon would be impossible. Menckar had to be destroyed, and neither Tara nor Amy was certain how it was going to happen.

"You're mean! I hate you! Go away!" Tara heard a shout from behind her, and turned to see Joy running. She stopped alarmingly close to the demon, hands balled into fists, eyes flashing, looking every inch the child of the Slayer. Tara gasped as Menckar bent in close, and Amy moved to rescue the girl. Frankie got there ahead of her, pulling Joy to him and backing away from the dangerous demon.

"Leave my sister alone," Frankie growled, and Menckar threw his head back and laughed. His laughter stopped abruptly when Joy broke free of her brother's grasp. She ran forward and jumped, hitting Menckar with all of her slight weight in his most vulnerable spot. Frankie quickly grabbed her hand and ran as Menckar doubled over, moaning. Amy and Tara quickly moved to put themselves between the gasping demon and the children.

"You will not touch these children, Menckar, I'm warning you..." Amy's eyes had turned completely black, and Tara knew that her own had done the same. Their magick had up to now been ineffective in the demon dimension, but she would do whatever was necessary to protect these children. Menckar straightened but made no move towards them.

"But I will. They are the destruction of humanity, so it has been written. And far more entertaining than I could have hoped. This visit has been most enjoyable." The demon smiled and shrugged at their confused expressions. "As I said, I make my own fun." After one more moment spent smirking in satisfaction, Menckar finally retreated. The moment she was certain he was gone Amy collapsed. Tara and Frankie rushed to her side as the other children whimpered in fear.

"The baby?" Tara asked unnecessarily. Amy simply nodded.

"Baby's wanting to join us out here. Got to love his timing. Am I...?" Tara gave Frankie a quick look and the boy turned his head, blushing furiously. She gave Amy a quick examination.

"You've got a while to go, but you're definitely getting there. I don't know how you're managing not to scream your head off."

"Know something? Neither am I," Amy panted, gritting her teeth as another contraction coursed through her. Without thinking she grabbed Frankie's hand and squeezed. The boy winced but endured the sudden pain in silence. Tara smiled at him fondly.

"You're a good boy, Frankie," she said when the contraction had finally eased. Amy smiled weakly at him too.

"The best," she agreed. The boy blushed even further, but smiled back at them.

"Don't worry. I'm going to take care of you, at least until Dad shows up. He'll handle that loser." Frankie was speaking more loudly than normal, and surmised that his confident statement was primarily for the benefit of the other children. He leaned in to speak softly, and the worried look in his eyes nearly broke the witches' hearts.

"Am I ever going to be able to get my real dad back?" Amy and Tara exchanged looks. The boy deserved their honesty, but they didn't want him to be discouraged by their uncertainty.

"We can reverse the spell that caused all this," Tara offered. This much she knew was true; whether they would get an opportunity was another altogether.

"And you know what your daddy would say, right?" Amy added, a Cheshire cat grin plastered on her face despite the situation. Frankie shook his head, frowning, but Tara caught on. She cleared her throat and began to sing in a clear, pretty voice.

"There's nothing you can do that can't be done. Nothing you can sing that can't be sung. Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game, it's easy..." Frankie laughed, all the children joined her on the chorus, and somehow the impromptu sing-a-long made things a bit easier. *We'll get out of this, the children will be safe, and we'll save Xander. We have to win...I only wish I knew how.*

***************************

December 10, 2000

It was shortly after midnight when the last form had finally been properly filled out and they were released. Buffy wanted to take Dawn home first; she looked dead on her feet. But Willow had grown increasingly anxious over getting to Xander during the long delays. She was so agitated she wasn't even making sense, even to someone as fluent in Willow-babble as Buffy. Her fretfulness had passed itself on to Anya, who had practically bit Buffy's head off when she'd suggested making a quick stop back at the house. Instead they all piled into Buffy's mom's Jeep, leaving Giles' sports car behind. Automatically Buffy handed Giles the key and he took the driver's seat, with Willow and Anya scrambling into the seat next to him. Tara, Buffy and Dawn climbed into the back and had barely settled when Giles backed out. Willow's state was affecting him as well.

Giles drove as quickly as he dared, although it wasn't easy with Willow unable to tell him precisely where they were going. Her eyes unfocused, she would often call turns when he was practically past them, causing him to stop short and flinging them against the seatbelts. 

"Giles, has Buffy been giving you driving lessons?" Dawn smirked at the murderous look she got from her sister and leaned back in satisfaction. Giles was spared from answering by the merciful appearance of a fork in the road. He slowed down, waiting for Willow's guidance.

"Which way, Willow? Which way do we go?" Anya asked, but Willow didn't respond. Anya grabbed her shoulder and gave it a light shake. "Hey, wake up! Willow!"

"Willow? Can you hear me?" Tara called from the back, her voice tight with concern. Despite Willow's strange behavior, none of them were prepared for what happened next. Willow suddenly screamed, fumbling for the clasp of the seatbelt as Giles instinctively applied the brake. She reached for the door handle and opened the car door as Anya clutched her shoulders, frightened by whatever was happening to the redheaded witch. Buffy had unbuckled her seat belt the second the door had swung open, and had moved with Slayer speed to grab hold of Willow and Anya, but her fingers found only air. The two women had fallen out into the darkness.

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Feedback please!


	12. Twelve

Disclaimer: I own no one, most especially the characters in this story. I'm merely borrowing them and deliberately confusing them.

Dedication: For all the heroes, both known and unknown, that fight the demons of this world that sometimes are so much more frightening than the fictional kind.

**************************************

December 10, 2000

"Willow!" Tara and Dawn both screamed in unison as Giles slammed on the brakes. Before the car had rocked back from the abrupt start all the doors were open and the four remaining occupants had scrambled out of the car. Giles took a second to put on the hazard lights before joining them.

"Willow! Anya! Where are you?" Tara called out in a loud voice. Her companions jumped a little; they'd never heard her like that before. But from the darkness there was no response other than the almost mocking chirping of crickets. The road was devoid of working streetlights. Buffy rooted around in the glove compartment. Finding two flashlights, she slapped one into Tara's hand and flicked on the other one.

"Stay close, Dawn." They started walking up the shoulder of the road. Hearing the sound of moaning, they broke into a run. They found Anya lying on the ground, groaning and making feeble movements.

"Anya! Don't move," Giles called. Buffy reached her first and checked her quickly for injuries, relieved to find nothing more serious than scratches and bruises. She helped the frightened girl into a sitting position.

"Are you okay? Where's Willow?"

"Do I look okay? My boyfriend's sick and missing, and I'm fragile and mortal and in pain and I was just thrown from a moving automobile and I thought I was gonna die." Giles put a comforting hand on her arm, and Anya took a deep breath. When she continued she was calmer. "I don't know where she is. We got separated, and I fell wrong. I couldn't breathe, I was dying."

"You had the wind knocked out of you," Giles soothed. Buffy, Tara and Dawn were searching the area for signs of the missing witch. He heard Buffy cry out.

"There!" She shined her light on someone lying face down about fifty feet away. Everyone's hearts leapt into their throats as they ran. Buffy reached the body first and knelt beside it. It was Willow, and she was unnaturally still. Buffy choked back a sob as Dawn and Tara reached her side.

"Is she okay?" Dawn asked in a small frightened voice. Buffy shook her head.

"I think...I think she's...I don't think she's breathing." With a small cry Tara knelt by her girlfriend and reached for her with trembling hands.

**********

__

*Oh. Kay. This is weird.*

*Willow!*

*Xander? Xander, is that you?*

*Yeah, I'm here.*

*I can't see you. It's all misty. Like a sauna, but without the heat, which is good, cause if it was all hot and stuff I might think I, maybe, went to, you know-*

*Will-*

*Except I wouldn't, you know, because, because I was a pretty good person, and if I was, you know, in Hell, then you wouldn't be there, cause you wouldn't go to Hell-*

*You're not dead, Will.*

*Oh? Oh! That's good! Not being dead is good.*

*Yeah, I'm pretty happy about it too, although it's a bit different for me.*

*Different? Different as in really being dead different? Please say no, cause we're coming to rescue you. Cause you called me, which is weird, but hey, effective!*

*No. Not dead. Not in the traditional sense of lacking a pulse, no.*

*Oh. There's another kind?*

*Well, I suppose you could call me dead in the sense that as things stand I never existed.*

*Oh. I see. No, no, I don't. That sense makes no sense, Xander. I know I felt something different about you before, like you were a different you than the you that you were, you know? What I mean to say is, what's going on?*

*It's complicated, and really hard to explain. Let's just say I didn't exactly use a DeLorean to get here, but the same basic idea applies.*

*You're from the future?*

*Yeah, except my being here has changed the future already...not to mention I've been infected with HVE. And I think Amy's still a rat?*

*I'm working on it! Deratting is pretty darn hard...say, the doctors said you were mumbling about Amy.*

*She figured out the cure to HVE, with the help of you and Tara. And she's the one who did this to me, although it wasn't really her. And I'm just confusing you even more, aren't I?*

*Well, yeah, if you mean I have no idea what you're taking about. You keep saying HVE, that's a disease right? Something from the future?*

*That's my Will. You understand more than most would. Definitely more than I would under the same circumstances.*

*Thanks for the affirmation, but I still don't-*

*I know, I know. And we don't have much time. At least I don't think we have much time.*

*Much time for what? Xander-*

*Listen, Will, do you trust me?*

*Of course I trust you, Xander. You're Xander. I mean, you're a different Xander, you're Xander from the future, but still Xander, you know?*

*Okay. Good. I can't tell you much about how and why I came to be here, cause frankly I don't really understand it myself. But there's a demon behind this, think ultra-Big Bad, and he has to be stopped. Somehow he brought me back in time, and it seems like he took the me that's meant to be here and brought him to the future. He must be stopped from doing...whatever it is he's doing, I'm not really clear about that part. The PTB apparently agree with me, because, well, here we are.*

*And here is where?*

*Dunno, but I think you and I are here to try to do something about this. You have to help me, Will.*

*I'm trying. Xander, you're close, I know you are. Just tell me where-*

*No, Will. I know I dragged you out here, but I'm dying. You don't have the cure and Tara doesn't have the training and Amy's still a rat. You find me, you'll die too.*

*But I can't just let you die!*

*Listen to me. That can't be helped now, but there's something I need you to do. Let me show you.*

*Xander, I can save you.*

*Listen...*

*Xander...please...*

*...Willow...*

*Please tell me where you are!*

*Let me show you...*

*Xander. What...?*

*...show you...*

*...oh...wow...*

*...got to save them...*

*I see...okay...I think I know what to do...*

*********

June 19, 2010

"You've arrived! You've arrived! Here and now, now and here and now!" Wesley bounced gleefully like a small child, his eyes wild. Without dropping the crossbow he grabbed Xander by the arm with surprising strength, pulling him inside. Once his eyes adjusted to the gloom, Xander saw incredible disarray. Books were stacked with remarkable precariousness everywhere, often with forgotten plates or teacups perched upon them. Stranger still, the walls were covered with odd graffiti made with colored chalk and black markers, combinations of hieroglyphics, strange languages and mathematical formulas. Wesley pulled Xander further into the strange house and sat him on the sofa, which appeared to be the only place to sit. Spike had followed and took a seat next to him. Wesley seemed strangely unaware of his presence, all attention now focused on Xander. It was making the dark-haired young man more nervous by the second.

"Is he...all right?' Xander asked Spike in a whispered aside as Wesley wandered over to a wall and added something to a formula, humming to himself.

"Mad as a hatter, mate. Has been for years." Spike smirked at the former Watcher, but Xander saw sympathy in his eyes. Spike shook his head wonderingly. "Fell in love with some strange physicist bird Angel rescued. She was a bit mad too, you know. Then they make some kind of bleeding discovery, some kind of ancient magickal technology thing...I remember Angel told them not to do anything rash, and then next thing we knew, poof, they'd disappeared. About a day later he's back, but he's been like this ever since. Told us he'd lost her in a time thread. None of us had a bloody clue what he was talking about. Been telling us for years all this rubbish about time streams being all wonky and you were gonna show. Thought it was just him bein' off his head, but here you are, aren't you?"

"Here you are, now you are...it's all coming together, so it's coming undone..." Wesley practically sang, scribbling something else.

"Spike, this is lovely tea party, and I'm sure it's bringing back nostalgic feelings for your days with Drusilla-"

"That's low, Harris," Spike growled.

"-but how does it get us any closer to rescuing the kids from Menckar, not to mention Tara and Amy?" At the mention of Menckar, Wesley turned to them, calm and collected. Xander and Spike were struck by his sudden lucidity.

"Ah, Menckar. He's a bad one, he's not in our dimension. Locked up tight." Wesley's eyes began to lose focus, and Xander stood and gripped his arms desperately, trying to hold on to sanity. Whether it was the Watcher's or his own he didn't wish to speculate.

"Wesley, do you know where Menckar is?" Wesley nodded imperiously.

"Of course. But you can't get there from here." A high pitched giggle escaped his lips. "You need help, dear Xander. Demon help." Xander looked questioningly at Spike, and Wesley giggled again.

"Not vampire help. It has to be a demon with an understanding of different dimensional realities and who can pass between them..." Wesley trailed off, half-smiling. There was a loud knock at the door. "Here comes one now."

"Oh, sure, mate. You've got a demon who can pass freely between dimensions but has to knock on the door of your house." Spike leaned laconically back on the couch as he spoke. Wesley paused momentarily, frowning.

"It's not really polite to just pop in unannounced." Wesley hurried to the door as the atmosphere in the room seemed to suddenly become charged with some kind of energy. It seemed to be emanating from above them. Spike and Xander both looked up, tensing as they saw small golden lights start to swirl overhead.

"Magick," Spike said softly.

"Ummm...Wesley?" Xander called anxiously as more and more lights appeared. "Something's happening!" Before the last word exited his mouth, the energy suddenly seemed to form the shape of a person, who subsequently materialized, dropping unceremoniously into Spike's lap. Xander's mouth dropped open in shock.

"Ooof," Spike quickly recovered, grinning at the unexpected visitor. "Didn't think you'd be joining us, luv."

"Don't get any ideas, Spike," Willow replied, struggling out of the vampire's lap. She smiled at Xander. "Sorry for the dramatic entrance, but I had to get here fast."

Before Xander pulled himself together enough to speak, Wesley returned with the woman that had been at the door. She was indeed a demon, her face strangely veined and utterly foreign to Xander, but he smiled at her anyway. He would have recognized her anytime and anywhere.

"Anya...it's you!"

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Feedback is always appreciated.


	13. Thirteen

Disclaimer: I own no one, most especially the characters in this story. I'm merely borrowing them and deliberately confusing them.

********************************

June 19, 2011

Anyanka eyed Xander almost shyly. The traces of human emotion she was feeling were almost foreign to her after all this time. 

"Xander, I'm so sorry. I thought you'd left me." Xander winced at the strange gravelly voice, nervous for the first time in her presence. He realized he might be in trouble here.

"I would never do that...ummm, you're not gonna, ummm, vengeance me, or anything, are you?" She morphed her appearance into her human form, and he could tell how upset she was. Even before she spoke again he began to relax.

"No! I mean, at first I did kind of go looking for you, I'll admit...but I got over that years ago. I was sure you were dead until a little while ago." Anyanka glared at Willow as she said the last few words, and the red headed witch huffed defensively.

"I didn't do it! Well, okay, I did, but it wasn't my fault. The Powers that Be did something that affected my spell. They didn't want us to know what we know before now, I guess."

"How could you know now before it was now?" Wesley offered in a serious voice, only his eyes betraying his madness. "Here wasn't here, and now wasn't now, not then. Even now it's not now, it's never." He smiled widely, and began to sing. "It's now or never...come hold me tight..."

"All in favor of ignoring Wesley in favor of an explanation from my best friend Willow?" Xander asked, holding up his hand. Spike's arm shot up as if he was the star pupil. Willow favored Xander with a wan smile.

"Okay, I can explain. See, you disappeared from the hospital."

"A little further along in the story, pet. We've covered that part," Spike interrupted, earning an annoyed look from the witch.

"Anyway, you were missing, but you were able to contact me. It was like mental telepathy." Xander leaned forward excitedly.

"Are you saying that future me has some kind of superpowers? Can I bend spoons with my mind?" Spike snorted as Willow shook her head, smothering her own smile of amusement.

"I don't think so. I don't believe it was you doing it, Xan. I think the Powers were already manipulating the situation."

"Why?" Willow's brow furrowed as the thought about her answer.

"Because Menckar's not playing by the rules, I guess. I think there are rules. There ought to be rules." Willow tossed her head indignantly, and Xander had to smile at his friend.

"Not that I've seen, pet," Spike purred.

"Go on, Will. What happened after you and I had a meeting of the minds?"

"Oh. We left the hospital. I don't know why they wanted us out closer to you, but they did, I guess, cause we were out in the middle of nowhere when you told me to get out of the car."

"I told you to get out of the car. How did I get in the car?"

"No, you were missing. And therefore not in the car. Actually, it was Mrs. Summers' jeep, so I'm not sure you can call it a car-"

"So I wasn't there, but I told you to...oh, yeah, right. Mental telepathy thing. Okay, so who is we? You and...?"

"Me," Anya chimed in.

"And Tara, Buffy, Giles and Dawnie. We were together."

"We were together until Willow decides to leave the car while it was still in motion and take me with her. I thought I was going to die."

"I thought I did." Willow shuddered. remembering. "But I wasn't dead...it was more like..."

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December 10, 2000

"...astral projection." Tara said, her calm expression belied by the tremor in her voice. All of them were shaken by Willow's still appearance.

"But she's not dead?" Buffy said. She'd already asked the question three times, but it didn't hurt to be sure. Seeing Willow like that had been almost more than she could bear. *I never want to go through something like that again.*

"And she'll be okay?" Dawn asked in a small voice, hugging herself. Tara quickly put a comforting arm around her slim shoulders.

"I think she will, as long as we don't move her. She has to be able to find her body again." The five of them were sitting in a kind of circle around Willow almost as if she was a campfire. She had been out for at least fifteen minutes by Giles' watch. Anya sighed deeply in frustration.

"How much longer do you think she'll be doing this? We need to find Xander."

"Yes, well, as Willow is apparently our only lead to finding Xander, I believe we have to wait for her to, umm, return."

"I wish she'd hurry up," Anya said. She sounded annoyed, which got Buffy's ire up. She was going to yell at the former demon, stifling the impulse by reminding herself how frightened Anya was for Xander, just as they all were. Anya brought herself up onto her knees and leaned over Willow, peering into her pale face. "Come on, Willow, get back in there!" At that moment Willow's eyes opened, causing Anya to pull back with a little shriek. Willow's right hand shot up and grabbed Anya's left hand, pulling her forward so that she was practically lying on top of her. Willow's eyes were wide and unseeing, and within seconds of the physical contact Anya's eyes looked the same. The others had scrambled to their feet uncertainly. Tara reached out to touch her girlfriend, then thinking better it let her hand drift back to her side. Buffy clenched her fists in frustration.

"Now what's happening?" she almost wailed. Both Tara and Giles appeared as confused as the rest of them.

"At least they haven't stopped breathing," Dawn noted.

"I need a bit more positive in my positive sides. Giles? Anything?" Buffy grabbed her Watcher's arm in desperation. He removed his glasses, shrugging.

"Extraordinary."

***************************

__

*What are you doing?*

*Showing you.*

*Showing me what?*

*What was shown to me...*

*I don't understand. You're being deliberately perplexing, aren't you?*

*Maybe a little. But Xander was, too. I think it goes with the whole Vulcan mind meld territory.*

*I understand that reference! Xander made me watch that show...if it were reality I would have exacted so much vengeance against Captain Kirk, you know, with all the women he-*

*Focus, Anya. Xander. The Xander that contacted me, he was from the future. He was sent back in time to here, and somehow things have been changed. Our future's changed because of that.*

*Are you saying we're in an alternate reality?*

*No, it's not like that...well, yeah, I guess it is like that...*

*Oh. Are there shrimp?*

*Anya, about the shrimp: get help. Please!*

*It was just a question!*

*We don't have time, we have to put things right...I'm going to do a spell, so that I can share Xander's memories with you.*

*That future no longer exists.*

*I know that. But I think Xander showed me this so that when it's time I'll be able to help make things right.*

*When it's time? When is it going to be time? You're being cryptic again, it's annoying.*

*Well, it's not easy to explain, and I'm not sure, exactly, when the right time is, so I'm doing a spell so that you and I remember the way things are supposed to be, no matter what...of course, it could possibly make us go insane but, but I think...*

*Know what I think? This is a bad idea. You should really talk to Giles first...oh, wow...*

***************************

"Extraordinary? Something of the highly weird and possibly dangerous variety is happening to Willow and all you can say is extraordinary?" Buffy's outburst left Giles looking appropriately chastised.

"I am sorry, Buffy, but I can't give you an easy answer to what's happening here. I've begun to entertain the possibility that it could be a case of possession." While he was speaking both Willow and Anya abruptly broke out of their trance like state. Willow looked up at Tara in confusion.

"Who's possessed?" she asked as her girlfriend practically tackled her, pulling her upright and giving her a fervent hug. Anya rocked back onto her heels and stood up, pointing at Willow.

"You are. Possessed or on some kind of trip out of your body or something. But now you're back. Right, Giles? She's back, and we can find Xander now?"

"You kind of took a trip yourself, Anya," Buffy said slowly. Anya frowned at her, shaking her head emphatically.

"I've been here the whole time, I didn't go anywhere."

"Willow, what happened to you? Can you describe your experience?"

"I don't think so, Giles. Everything's a bit fuzzy." Willow rubbed her shoulder and winced. "And there's having of pain. Did I have an accident?"

"What's the last thing your remember, honey?" Tara asked gently. Willow's brow furrowed in thought for a moment, then her eyes widened.

"The hospital...Xander! Xander's missing, we were trying to find him."

"Right, and you were kind of our homing beacon. You led us out into the wilderness, then decided you needed a closer look," Buffy prompted. Willow shook her head, clearly not remembering these events.

"You jumped from the car," Dawn summarized.

"I did?" The group all nodded in unison, and Willow looked embarrassed. "Oh. Oops."

"Oops! You dragged me with you, too, I could have been killed." Anya was nearly hysterical again. "But I don't care about that now. Where's Xander?" Willow closed her eyes, concentrating. She opened them, her eyes filling with tears as she shrugged helplessly.

"I don't know. I don't feel him anymore."

"Oh God, Will. He's not..."

"I don't know, Buffy! I just know I don't know."

"He's not dead," Anya sobbed. "We'll find him, he's got to be around here somewhere." Willow shook her head, allowing Tara to help her to her feet.

"I don't think so. He's not here anymore." She took a deep shuddering breath, swaying a bit. Buffy and Tara both reached out to steady her. "Xander's gone...somewhere else. I don't know if that means he's dead, but we won't find him here."

"We'll return to the hospital. Willow and Anya need medical attention, and perhaps there's been some word...we can continue to search in the morning." Giles' gentle pronouncement stirred them to action, and they slowly returned to the car. None of them could help looking about the darkness, hoping for a glimpse of their fallen friend. Through accident or design, no sign of Xander Harris was to be found...

***************************

June 19, 2011

"...until now. The spell I did worked, but the memories didn't kick in until just a little while ago. Which wasn't what I meant to have happen."

"But it had to happen," Wesley offered emphatically, his eyes momentarily clear and lucid. "Knowing what the future holds, and should hold, and doesn't hold...that sort of thing can drive you mad." He gazed into their faces for a moment before cackling. Their mad host then wandered to a pile of papers stacked to one side, picking up a few with that were covered with strange scribbled writing.

"Really? Drives you mad?" Spike asked nervously. "I don't much fancy that."

"You needn't worry, Spike. I imagine you have some protection as a vampire. And you see this world as illusion and the other as real. The others see this as real and the other as..." Wesley trailed off, looking at Willow pointedly.

"Like a fantasy," Willow said. She took Xander's hand in her own, wondering. "I know it's real, but it feels like a fantasy."

"Exactly. It's just as I thought. All has happened according to..." Wesley trailed off as he sorted through the papers, tossing them aside in frustration as he searched for what he was looking for.

"Don't say prophecy, don't say prophecy..." Xander muttered under his breath.

"Eureka! According to the prophecy!" Wesley announced grandly, triumphantly waving a piece of parchment in front of their faces. Xander groaned.

***************************

"I think it's time," Amy moaned following the contraction. "That was the worst one yet." She was fully in labor now, and Tara and Frankie had managed to put up some of their blankets to give her a bit of privacy and to shield them from the curious eyes. Tara mopped her forehead, her eyes sympathetic. 

"Not yet. There's still a while to go." Amy eyed her fellow witch incredulously.

"Tell me something, Tara...you actually want to do this again?" Tara smiled at the disbelief in her fellow witch's voice, but was stopped from responding by the approach of an excited child.

"Aunt Tara, someone's coming!" Ross whispered, eyes widening when he got a better view of what was going on behind the makeshift curtain. Tara bit her lip, vexed. She didn't want to leave Amy, but she couldn't leave the children unprotected. Amy hissed at her for hesitating, giving her a weak push with her hand.

"Go. The kids need you. I'll survive till you get back." Tara joined the children just in time to see Menckar enter with a large number of his minions. She hurried to get in front of the children; to her dismay, they were too spread out for her to get them all safely behind her. The demon was grinning broadly in a parody of human happiness that sickened the witch. He clapped his clawed hands together several times for attention, even though the children were already as still as statues.

"The show's about to start, time for everyone to take their places."

"I think we'll just stay here," Tara replied. She was amazed at how calm her voice sounded. The demon simply made a gesture, and Tara's heart leapt into her throat at the sound of Savannah's scream. One of the minions had scooped up her daughter, who was now struggling desperately, her arms pinned to her sides. Jesse tried to help her and quickly found himself being held by another of the minions.

"I think you'll do what I say," Menckar said in an almost pleasant tone. Tara nodded, pleading frantically with her eyes. At the demon's signal his minions released the squirming children. Savannah ran like a bullet for her mother, who scooped her up into her arms, reassuring herself the child was unharmed. She looked around at the whimpering children.

"Okay, kids, we're going for a walk. Everything's going to be fine. Line up in front of me."

"Fetch the infant," Menckar ordered one of his minions, and Tara's head shot up. She glared at the demon with so much anger it actually made him pause.

"No! We're coming. Frankie, get the baby, please."

"But, Aunt Tara, what about-"

"Frankie. The baby. Please." Moved by the strained pitch of her voice, the boy made no further comment. She held back her tears with difficulty, then spoke to the children gently but firmly. "Jenny, take Danny's hand. Ross, you hold on to Joy. Jesse, take your sister's hand. And Savannah, honey," she cooed to her daughter as she placed her back on the ground, "you take Frankie's hand and you don't let go. Be Mommy's big girl." The children followed her orders without making a sound, other than an occasional sobbing breath. Wordlessly, Frankie handed the sleeping infant to Tara and took Savannah's hand, squaring his shoulders. They moved forward in a grotesque parody of a children's parade. Menckar chuckled happily as they passed him. Tara prayed that he had forgotten about Amy, and that she would be okay. The demon gestured to one of his minions to stay behind as the rest followed the grim procession.

"What of the other witch, my lord?" the minion asked.

"She is birthing her child as we speak. Let her finish, then kill her. Save the child for me, however. I believe I'll be hungry later." Menckar chuckled to himself. "Everything is happening exactly as it was written...and our surprise guest has been secured. The fool will do what he must to save his spawn, and it will spell the doom of his pitiful race."

***************************

"It's all here," Wesley crowed. "All here, and you're here, so the prophecy is coming to pass!"

"I really hate prophecies," Xander groused. Spike and Anya grunted agreement in unison.

"Wesley, can I see it?" Willow asked, reaching for the paper. Wesley snatched it away from her grasp and cradled it to his chest petulantly.

"It's mine!"

"I know, Wesley," she said slowly, as if she was speaking to a child, "but that paper looks awfully new. I just want to make sure it's-"

"Real? Authentic?" Wesley sniffed, outraged. "I can vouch for that, Miss Rosenberg. I know everything there is to know about its origins." He smiled toothily, leaning in as if to tell them a joyous secret. "I wrote it."

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Feedback is always appreciated.


	14. Fourteen

Disclaimer: I own no one, most especially the characters in this story. I'm merely borrowing them and deliberately confusing them.

Author's Note: This chapter takes place entirely in the future time frame. Bet that's a relief!

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The brightness of the chamber they were brought into was almost blinding after the darkness of the cave. Tara had to shield her eyes for a moment, waiting for them to adjust.

"Pretty," she heard Missy coo. Jesse quickly shushed her. Tara looked down to see Savannah slipping her hand into her own. Frankie was standing on the other side of her daughter, his jaw tight with anger.

"It's not pretty. It's horrible," the boy said emphatically. Tara felt that both children were right. The chamber seemed to be made all out of crystals, prisms of light filling the room with streams of color that were breathtakingly beautiful. But at the same time there was a faint odor of something rotting in the air, a constant reminder that this was a place where evil had gained more than a foothold. Something bad had happened here already, and Menckar intended to do worse things here now. Tara despaired of finding a way to protect the children from him. She said a silent prayer for Xander. Whether she was praying he would come or stay away was not clear to her any longer. Menckar's enthusiasm for Xander's arrival had left her more than a little confused.

Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, she looked over to see a small pulsing spot, blacker than tar, hanging midair. It was growing and shrinking at regular intervals, almost as if it was breathing. Tara couldn't tear her eyes away from it, even when she heard Menckar's mocking laughter.

"Ah, I see you've noticed that I've already begun. Do you like it? Courtesy of my special guest. I do believe you're already acquainted."

"What are you talking about?" Tara said numbly, still staring at the breathing hole. Menckar stepped behind her and wrenched her head around, forcing her to see.

"Mommy, who is that?" Savannah asked curiously. Tara stared in horror. She couldn't believe it.

"Oh, no...what have you done?" Tara cried.

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"That's wonderful," Xander groused. "This all has to do with a prophecy written by a crazy man."

"I'm not happy about it either, mate, but don't forget he knew about you," Spike reminded him. "But I don't understand why we need the prophecy at all. You," Spike said, pointing at Anya. "You're a vengeance demon, granting wishes and such. Can't Junior here just wish his kiddies out of the demon's clutches?" Anya looked completely unhappy.

"I can't do it. I mean, even if he wasn't the wrong gender entirely..."

"Well, what about the witch here?" Spike continued, not to be deterred from his new idea. "It's her kids and her girlfriend trapped by the soddin demon, isn't it? Seems like a good excuse for vengeance, if you ask me."

"It's forbidden." Anya's eyes begged Xander for his understanding. "When I went back to D'Hoffryn, he made me pledge fealty not just to him, but to all those to whom he had aligned himself. Including Menckar. I had to swear a blood oath that I would do nothing to harm Menckar or interfere with any of his plans." She gestured helplessly to the wish necklace. "I didn't know about our kids. The blood oath means my powers won't work against Menckar directly." Xander and Spike looked at each other and slumped together on the sofa. Willow, on the other hand, was still trying to draw more information out of Wesley.

"You and Fred, your accident...could you tell me about it?" Willow asked Wesley, who had now taken out a dingy handkerchief which he was using to remove imaginary dust from the prophecy parchment. She was trying to figure out if she could snatch it out of his hands before he destroyed it accidentally. Even though he seemed to be unaware of her efforts, he had consistently managed to pull it out of her reach whenever she got close.

"It was an experiment," Wesley responded. "Not an accident. It worked. Everything worked just as it should have done. Fred told me that. She knew what we were doing, so much better than I did. We saw...everything...things we shouldn't have seen. No one should see..." Just when it seemed to Xander that Wesley was going to break down, he smiled, twirling around and causing Willow to miss yet again.

"Damn," she cursed under her breath as she felt the paper just brush past her fingertips. Anya eyed her impatiently.

"You're a witch, why don't you just...witch it away from him?"

"I tried that," Willow hissed in annoyance. "He's placed some kind of protective wards." Wesley looked over at them and winked, then laughed uproariously. His four guests collectively sighed. They were stuck at the whims of a madman for now.

"Spent a bit of time in demon dimensions...they have prophecies there too, you know." Wesley continued conversationally, before looking disoriented. "I didn't know that. I didn't know before...I certainly didn't know about the shrimp, by God. Wish someone had said something about that."

"You see! I told you," Anya crowed excitedly. Everyone was happy to ignore her.

"So this is one of the demon prophecies?" Willow asked, desperate to keep them on topic. Wesley's frown deepened. He placed his hand to his head as if suffering a sudden blinding headache.

"I...I'm not..." he stammered, then straightened angrily. "No! It's mine! It's all mine!" He suddenly burst into tears.

"Of course it's yours, mate," Spike said in a calm steady voice. Xander couldn't help but stare at the vampire that was so unlike the Spike he had known.

*This must be the way he talks to the children. Oh God, while we sit here and play games with a crazy dimension-hopping British prophet, what's happening to those children?* With all that he had been through, Xander now found himself at the edge of hysteria. He pressed his palm to his mouth to stifle whatever was about to come out. He wasn't sure if it was a laugh or a scream at this point. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into Anya's eyes, full of concern, and managed to give her a weak smile.

"It is!" Wesley sobbed.

"And it's brilliant, I'm sure. Won't you read it to us? I know Xander would love to know what it says," Spike continued in that soothing tone. Spike raised an eyebrow at Xander, who nodded enthusiastically.

"Y-you want to hear it?" Wesley asked haltingly.

"Of course we do, Wes," Willow said.

"Knowing and never forgetting that it's all yours," Xander added hastily. Wesley smiled at them happily, his mood having shifted abruptly again.

"It is brilliant, you know." He spread out the piece of paper in front of him, holding it by it's top and bottom as if it was some kind of royal decree and he was the town crier. He cleared his throat dramatically, then eyed his audience suspiciously. All gave him their best attentive student looks, even Spike. "This is the part that's about your children, Xander: Ten who never were will serve as the vessels; Ten born of the Father, a man out of time. Their fate is sealed, they bring the destruction of man. Only the Father of the Ten can change what has been written. One who loved the Father must open the portal; one who loved the Father must hold it fast. A friend of the Father, not of the living, joins him in the journey but not to its end, as it ends in darkness found in a room of light. If he sees with his eyes he will be blind. If he listens with his ears he will not hear. If he thinks with his head he will not understand. He must see beyond the seen, hear beyond the heard, know beyond the known. What has been done must be undone; what is unreal must be made real again." Wesley looked up at them all expectantly. They stared back, speechless.

"Well that was...just...nutty. Not surprising," Xander said flatly. 

"It doesn't really rhyme, does it. And there's no poetry to it, is there?" Spike smirked.

"You think you can do better, William the Bloody?" Wesley asked, giggling. Anya was growing agitated, grabbing hold of Xander's sleeve.

"Did it sound like I'm supposed to open a dimensional portal? Cause I think I already established that I can't do that!"

"Of course you can," Wesley said calmly, almost looking like the Watcher Xander remembered. He looked from face to face impatiently. "Are you telling me you didn't understand at all?"

"I understood it," Willow offered hastily. "Some," she amended after glares from the other three.

"It's quite simple, really. Xander and Spike will enter the portal opened by Anyanka."

"But I can't!" Anya said.

"Once on the other side you will journey to find Menckar and the others. But only Xander can go up against Menckar."

"Well then, why the hell should I go?" Spike demanded, disappointed. "I want to beat the crap out of that sorry excuse for a demon."

"You must go. Time is running short," Wesley said brusquely.

"Crazy guy's takin' charge," Xander muttered, and Willow elbowed him in the ribs. He gave her a wounded look; her replying glare spoke volumes. "Don't mock the crazy guy. Check."

"And what about me? There must be something I can do!" Willow said plaintively. Wesley grinned.

"Of course there is. You will help Anyanka. As she said, she is powerless to open a portal to Menckar."

"No! I told you, that's...right!"

"She can, however," Wesley continued as if Anya hadn't spoken, "open a portal between here and a different dimension. Then you will just have to, well, appropriate it for our purposes."

"Hello? You want me to steal a dimensional portal? It's not exactly like a blouse in a department store!" Willow said. "I've never even attempted something that big before!"

"I can help you focus. Most importantly, once Xander and Spike have passed through the portal we must make sure it closes properly. Otherwise we could make things worse. Much, much worse. Terrible things can happen." Lost in some waking nightmare, Wesley began rocking himself back and forth. Xander grabbed his shoulders, trying to force him back to reality.

"You mean, close the portal after we get the kids, right?" Xander asked. Wesley shook his head impatiently. "No, of course not. Cause that would be NOT of the crazy!"

"I'm not going on a one way ticket, mate," Spike added. "First I don't get to kill Menckar, now I don't get to come back."

"We're running out of time," Wesley snapped angrily. "If we wait any longer, it will be too late. And your children are as good as dead." Xander took a deep breath. 

"Let's get this show on the road. Get me to my kids." Wesley turned to Anya expectantly.

"Open the portal."

"But-" Anya began, but Wesley cut her off impatiently.

"Open a portal to anywhere."

"Show us a world without shrimp," Willow said. Anya smiled grimly, placing her necklace around Willow's neck.

"You have to wish it. Wish Xander and Spike were sent to another dimension. That's the only way I can do it." Willow nodded, frowning in concentration.

"I wish Xander and Spike would go to a different dimension." Instantly Anya changed to her demon appearance.

"Done," she replied, and the portal appeared, a large rippling circle appearing in front of where Xander and Spike were standing. It looked to Spike as if the air had changed to water. Xander reached out and touched it, pulling his hand back as his fingers passed through.

"Cool! Great Stargate FX," Xander said softly. Wesley grabbed Willow's hands in his and closed his eyes. Reflexively Willow closed her eyes as well.

"Just take hold of it and...push," he said. Willow nodded her head once, and Wesley let go of her hands. He waved his arms at Xander, suddenly frantic. "Oh, I almost forgot! I have something that might be useful," he said running out of the room.

Willow opened her eyes, breathing heavily. She collapsed to the floor, her legs no longer willing to hold her. When Xander started to move towards her, she shook her head. "I'm okay. I'm holding it in the right place, but I don't know how long I can do it."

"Wesley! We've got to go!" Xander hollered. Spike grabbed onto his arm.

"He's probably off his rocker again, Harris. Let's get a move on while we can. Willow's fading fast." Xander nodded, and just as he was about to step through, Wesley appeared carrying a well-polished katana. He tossed it to Spike, who caught it neatly.

"Menckar can be effectively killed through decapitation. That's the best way," Wesley said breathlessly. Xander nodded, and he and Spike stepped into the rippling air and vanished. After holding it open for a moment longer, Willow brought her hands together slowly, and the ripples disappeared. Anya helped Willow to her feet and deposited the shaky witch on the sofa. Wesley stood watching them with a grin.

"Everything went according to plan. He's going to be so pleased," Wesley crowed. Anya and Willow exchanged puzzled glances.

"You mean Xander?" Willow asked in confusion. Wesley took a step towards the witch and the demon. He froze midstride, surprise registering briefly on his face before he collapsed face down. A sword identical to the one he had thrown to Spike was now sticking out of his back. Anya and Willow gasped as they saw the dead Wesley morph into its true gray-skinned demon form. The real Wesley, bleeding from a head wound, looked at the two women in confusion.

"He was waiting for me...and then he was me. I am still me, right?" Anya quickly moved to help Wesley to the sofa, setting him down next to Willow. "What happened? What did he do?"

"He gave Xander one of those," Anya said, pointing to the katana sticking out of the demon's back. Wesley moaned.

"That's bad, very, very bad," he said. Willow desperately wanted to know why it was bad, but she wanted to deal with the wound on his head first. She swiftly examined the bump.

"This could be worse, but it's bad enough," she said, thankfully taking the handkerchief Anya handed her to put pressure on the bleeding head wound. "Better get Wes to a hospital, just to be on the safe side." Willow indicated Anya should hold the cloth in place, so that she could have her hands free to make the call. 

"Very, very bad," Wesley moaned again. Touching her arm, Willow looked puzzled.

"What? Hello? Buffy? That's funny, I was just trying to make a...oh...What?...When?...What did they say?" Willow listened for a few more moments then disconnected, her face drained of all color.

"What happened?" Anya asked.

"Very, very bad," Wesley whispered, and Willow's expression let Anya know even before she spoke that Wesley was absolutely right.

"Buffy's at the hospital. Dawn's gone."

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Feedback is always appreciated.


	15. Fifteen

Disclaimer: I own no one, most especially the characters in this story. I'm merely borrowing them and putting them in bizarre situations for the amusement of myself and others.

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"One of these days, one of these blokes is gonna have a shred of originality," Spike snorted.

"Well, dark sulfurous hell-cave does make a statement," Xander replied.

"It's been done," Spike retorted. "It's like the whole abandoned warehouse at the edge of town gig all the demons in Sunnydale kept doing until the city council finally had them razed."

"As fascinating as Better Demon Living 101 is, shouldn't we be getting a move on here? And isn't that supposed to be mine?" Xander asked, indicating the katana Spike still held. Spike handed it over grudgingly.

"Don't accidentally cut off anything important, or these kids really will never have a daddy."

"Funny," Xander said shortly, as he tested the weight of the sword in his hand. His next remark was stopped by the sound of an agonized cry. "That was..."

"Human. Definitely." Spike sniffed the air, his mouth tightening. "I smell blood, Harris. This way."

*****

"So help me, if he says very, very bad one more time I'm going to make a very personal wish," Anya growled. Willow wanted to glare at the demon, but the truth was she felt very much the same way. Xander was quite obviously in big trouble, and their only source for answers was an injured madman who was practically catatonic with shock.

"Wes, please, you've got to tell us what happened. How can we help Xander?" Wesley simply stared back at her blankly. Willow huffed in frustration, and all the pictures on the walls of the waiting room simultaneously fell off the walls and crashed to the ground. The witch looked around herself guiltily, but no one seemed to be looking in their direction. 

"Why would fake Wesley want to give Xander a sword?" Anya asked suddenly. "He was obviously one of Menckar's minions. Why would he want Xander to have a weapon...unless it's cursed! If Xander uses it something bad will happen to him!"

"So Wesley goes to get the sword, the minion knocks him out, and substitutes an evil sword?" Willow said slowly.

"Not a sword," Wes said weakly. Both women turned to him excitedly. "That's the last thing I wanted Xander to have."

"Why?" Willow asked. 

"Because he'll try to kill Menckar."

"Isn't that why he's going in the first place?"

"No, no, no. He mustn't kill him. He must defeat him. It's not the same thing. If he kills him we'll all be destroyed. Menckar won't be dead, just displaced. And much more powerful."

"Displaced?"

"The children." Willow and Anya both moaned in anguish.

"No!" sobbed Anya. 

"He can't," Willow whimpered.

"He can. If Xander stikes a killing blow with that katana, he will. We're all doomed."

*****

Xander held the katana at the ready as he stepped carefully over the bodies of two minions Spike had quickly dispatched. Another agonized cry echoed through the chamber. The two men exchanged glances and then followed Spike's nose further into the darkness. There were clear signs that of inhabitation here. Spike and Xander exchanged a meaningful look when they saw the empty crib.

"Over here," Spike said softly. Xander nodded, and the two approached an area obscured by blankets. Gulping down the lump in his throat, Xander pushed the makeshift curtain aside with the sword.

"Get that out of my face," Amy said weakly. Xander hastened to comply, kneeling beside his friend.

"Amy. It's really you. You're having the baby?" he squeaked.

"What does it look like?" Amy hissed in response. Spike growled, and Xander saw he was struggling to stay with his human face.

"She's lost a lot of blood, mate. And something's wrong." Xander reached out and took Amy's hand as she moaned. 

"Xander, the children. You've got to get to them."

"We can't leave you like this. I know this is never exactly a beauty pageant moment, but this looks bad, Amy."

"But Menckar has Tara and the children. They need you," Amy responded. Spike growled again, and Xander pulled him away from Amy. He had to think fast.

"I'm gonna find the kids. I need you to stay here and help her."

"What? I can't-"

"Wes said this is my show. Remember, I get to face down the demon all by my lonesomeness. I think you're here for Amy."

"I think you're as mad as Wesley and I won't do it."

"Spike!" Xander grabbed the vampire by the jacket in frustration.

"I'm a bleedin vampire, you stupid git. What the hell do I know about having babies? Sure, I take care of the little brats, but I make it a rule that they have to be hatched first."

"Look, I don't know how I know this, but I know that if I don't get to those kids right now, everyone that you and I care about is going to die. I've got to go, and you've got to help her! What you don't know, you'll just have to improvise." Spike glared at him for a long moment, then gave him a shove.

"Why are you wasting time arguing with a vampire, then? Get your ass moving, Harris. And give the bastard my regards when you take his bloody head off."

"I'll make sure he knows you cared enough to want him dead."

"And I'll try not to snack on the witch and her whelp." Xander knew that Spike was saying he'd try to help Amy, and he nodded. He hurried away without looking back, instinct or something else taking over his senses. All he knew was that somehow he knew exactly where he had to be.

*****

"Why would Menckar want to be human? And why children?"

"I can't be certain, but when he's done I don't think they'll be either children or human." Willow paled.

"What about Tara's baby? He wouldn't...?" She trailed off when Wesley shook his head sadly.

"I'm sorry."

"There must be something we can do! I...I was able to communicate with Xander before, mentally. Maybe I could do that again. Warn him..."

"You won't be able to," Anya said sadly. Willow clenched her fists in anger.

"I can try. It's better than doing nothing!"

"Magickal energy," Wesley said absently. The women saw he had wandered off into his mind again by the smile on his face. "In order to do what he's trying to do, he needs to tap into a great deal of magickal energy..."

"Wyndham-Price?" called the nurse. Willow waved, and two orderlies approached. Wesley looked at Willow earnestly as they helped him into a wheelchair.

"If Xander were able to remove the source of the energy...I'm not sure what would happen, actually, but it might stop Menckar." Willow nodded solemnly as Wesley was wheeled out of sight.

"Removing the source...oh goddess, are you thinking...?," she said to Anya, who nodded, having drawn the same grim conclusion as the witch.

"I think we know what happened to Dawn."

*****

Xander shielded his eyes. After spending so much time in the overall darkness, he had emerged into a cavern full of light. Crystal formations of different shapes and sizes were everywhere. He blinked rapidly, blindly waving the sword as he spun around.

"I see you finally found us, Mr. Harris," a velvety voice said. Xander turned towards the voice. He was shaken by what he saw, but when he spoke his voice was steady.

"I don't care what anyone says, I like what you've done here. Very Superman 2." The children were standing in a ring of crystal formations. The crystals were each placed a few feet apart, their even spacing evidencing the unlikelihood of their natural origin. Tara was standing in the center of the children, holding the baby to her. She was slack-jawed and unresponsive, as were all the children. To one side of them stood Menckar, pretty much looking like Xander had expected. Bigger than he was, scaly and nasty looking, with sharp looking claws. To the other side was something he hadn't anticipated; the seemingly lifeless form of Dawn Summers. 

Dawn had been spread-eagled and chained to something that looked like a giant crystal X. Her head was down, her hair obscuring her face completely. The crystal was emitting a pulsating humming sound. Catching movement in his peripheral vision, Xander risked a quick look in that direction. He caught a glimpse of the strange spot that Tara had seen earlier, now as large as a person, still growing and contracting at regular intervals. He looked back at Dawn. The rhythmic humming of the crystals matched the movements of the hole. 

"You're insincere. I like that in a human," Menckar said. He reached over and snatched the baby from Tara's arms. The infant immediately began to scream, squirming in the demon's grasp. Xander raised the katana angrily.

"Put him down. So help me, for every hair on his head, I'll be removing a hundred of yours."

"I don't have hair."

"Then I'll remove something else." Menckar regarded him thoughtfully for a moment, then threw back his head and laughed. Xander grew red as he steeled himself for a fight.

********

"Try to reach him," Anya urged. Willow nodded. She was sitting on the floor of the waiting room in lotus position, trying to reach a state of trance. After a few calming breaths, she opened her eyes, panicking.

"Even if I can reach him, I don't know what to tell him to do. Other than not kill Menckar."

"Don't you?" Anya said softly. Willow shook her head.

"I can't tell him to kill Dawn. We don't even know that's what he should do!" Willow exclaimed, hiding her face in her hands helplessly.

"Well, if you don't tell him something, I think the point is rather moot, don't you?" Anya's words were annoyingly true, as usual. Willow closed her eyes again, calming her breathing and reaching out for one of the only minds she would know by feel alone...

******

"So fierce, Xander Harris, but it's all words. No action. I grow weary of waiting. I think I'll just eat your children now!" Menckar raised the crying child to his lips, pulling the blanket off to reveal dark black hair covering his head. Xander howled in rage and ran towards the demon, katana raised and at the ready. It was time for him to end this once and for all.

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Feedback is always appreciated.


	16. Sixteen

Disclaimer: I own no one, most especially the characters in this story. I'm merely borrowing them and putting them in bizarre situations for the amusement of myself and others.

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*No one's trying to stop me.*

This was the thought that slowed Xander's approach. He saw gray skinned minions standing behind where Menckar was standing, but none of them were stepping forward to protect their master. He stopped a few feet away, confused. Something about this was very off. Menckar wanted his children to be vessels of something nasty, not a snack. The demon was deliberately goading him on. And if Menckar wanted him to attack, that was definitely not something he should be doing.

"Come on!" Menckar roared angrily. "Are you such a coward you'll let your children die? Damn you, why can't you just once be predictable?"

"It's part of my charm," Xander panted. "And you keep forgetting something."

"What is that?"

"Those aren't my kids. And you've fixed it so they never will be."

"Ah, yet you still came here to save them. You care about them deeply, don't try to pretend otherwise. They represent your future, Alexander Harris. A future that I have taken away from you. A future I have destroyed simply because...well, just because I could, really. But as long as they're here, living, breathing..." Menckar almost gently placed the baby back into Tara's arms, "...screaming..." He touched one of the crystals surrounding his captives. Tara screamed, and the children cried out for their father.

"Dammit, stop hurting them!" Xander said, his voice gruff with pain, his whole body trembling in fury. Menckar just laughed.

"Help, Daddy!" Xander heard Joy cry out.

"Daddy, please!" He heard several of the others scream.

"Make me stop, Harris. What other choice do you have? Come on, let's end this!" Menckar called in an almost reasonable tone. Unable to bear the sounds of the children's cries, Xander raised the sword yet again.

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"I see the head!"

"Great. Now get it the hell out of me!"

"Hold your bleedin' horses-HEY! That hurt! Stop biting the fingers, bint!"

"I wish I had! You're enjoying this!"

"The hell I am!"

"You are...you want us to die, so you can drink our blood..."

"Normally I'd be flattered, but I'm right pissed. Just so you know, when you're lookin' for me to watch your squallin' brat, my rates just went up. Now push, dammit!"

"I hate you!! AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

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He slowly stepped closer. He was almost to Menckar, who appeared unarmed other than his own claws and teeth. None of the demon's minions had made a move to stop him. But all Xander could think was that the kids were hurting and he had to make it stop somehow. He braced himself for dealing the killing blow...and staggered. Something brushed his mind, utterly foreign but strangely familiar. He heard a voice from inside his head, and it wasn't his own.

__

*Xander, stop! You can't kill him.*

*Willow?*

*Yes! It's a big nasty trick. If you kill Menckar he's going to take over the children. Think permanent possession. And lots of badness. Death would be better.*

*So what do I do? He's hurting them right now! He's hurting Tara too.*

*Oh no. Tara? Oh goddess! You have to stop him!*

*That's what I've been trying to tell you, Will. But you have to tell me how!*

*I think...you might have to kill Dawn.*

*You can't be serious. I can't do that!*

*I'm not sure. But you have to do something, Xander. He's drawing energy to do this spell from Dawn, you have to stop it...oh, no...*

*Willow? Willow?*

"Get on with it already. I swear, I've never had to wait this long for someone to try to kill me before," Menckar was feigning boredom, but Xander could tell he was anxious for him to proceed. Xander was anxious himself. He had sensed a lot of strain in Willow's mind, and right before she faded out he was certain she was in pain. He prayed she would be all right.

"Really? Does this happen often?" Xander asked, stalling for time while he racked his brain for a solution.

"More often than you'd think, actually. But most of the time it's just disgruntled minions...quit stalling."

"What makes you think I'm stalling? Maybe I'm just looking for a vulnerable spot! Of course, there's the neck, but that's so obvious. There might be another spot that I'd like better..." Xander said, trying to judge his distance to Dawn using only his peripheral vision. Menckar roared angrily and began to close the distance between the two of them himself. The children's cries ceased as suddenly as they had begun.

"You are an infuriating human!"

"I get that a lot," Xander agreed, nodding to himself. He raised the sword higher, feinted towards the demon, then took off at a full run towards Dawn. Menckar screamed in fury.

"Stop him!" the demon hollered, and Xander skidded to a stop as he found himself surrounded by gray-skinned demons one moment, then familiar faces the next as the demons morphed. False images of Anya, Giles, Willow and Buffy surrounded him now, closing in on him quickly. Xander stared at Menckar in disbelief.

"Do I look like a total idiot?" Xander asked, then quickly added, "Don't answer that, really." He had seen that these minions had weapons. The look-alikes of Buffy and Giles both were holding long wicked-looking knives that seemed to Xander like they could easily cut him into little Xander pieces, while the faux Willow and Anya looked like they planned on going medieval on him with spiky maces. "Hey you guys, lookin sharp!" he quipped weakly.

Xander struck out desperately with the sword, then felt something seem to take control. He could fight some; working with the Slayer for as long as he had you picked up some moves. But this was different. He could see what he needed to do, but the sword was obeying his every thought with a skill level he did not naturally possess. He countered a slashing move by the Giles minion's knife before moving in a sweeping gesture and cutting off the head of the Anya minion. He swallowed hard as the minion took on its natural appearance. Not allowing himself time to think he slashed across and slightly upwards and then back again, disarming the Buffy and Giles minions in one slice and decapitating them cleanly in the other. Without turning he stepped aside, avoiding a debilitating blow from the only remaining minion, then did a deft quarter turn and thrust the sword into the chest of the image of his best friend. For a second the minion's all too familiar green eyes stared in shock and grief, then the illusion faded and he removed the sword from the body of the fallen minion.

Xander's lip curled up in distaste. He wanted to wipe the noxious blood from the sword, but there was no time. He headed towards Dawn again, ignoring the other approaching minions and Menckar's screams of outrage. He looked at Dawn's nearly lifeless form, hesitating for just a moment. Closing his eyes, he said a silent prayer to whoever was in charge of this nightmare that he was doing the right thing. Gritting his teeth, he brought the sword down...

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Willow fell forward, nearly unconscious. Her eyelids fluttered but couldn't quite stay open, and blood was gushing from her nose and ears. Anya supported her shoulders and gently nudged her back into a sitting position. She shook her slightly, trying to bring her back to consciousness.

"Did it work? Did you reach him?" Anya asked urgently.

"I...my head...yes...I told him..." Willow mumbled.

"Oh. Good. It is good, right? What did you tell him to do?"

"I think...I told him to kill Dawn...oh God, what if we're wrong?" Willow moaned.

"He'll do the right thing. He's the Xander I knew. The one I love. I trust him."

"I do," Willow whispered as she fell forward again. Anya caught her in her arms, almost falling over. She thought that the witch had merely passed out until she felt how cold her skin was. A sudden panic washed over her, and she felt for a pulse, finding none.

"Oh, God...help me, somebody!" Anya screamed. As a nurse and an intern ran to them, Anya breathed her own prayer. *Please, help Xander. Help make it like it was...like it was supposed to be.*

***************************

Menckar reached Xander a second too late. He had already brought the sword down and cut Dawn loose. The girl slumped to the ground, barely breathing. Then everything happened at once. Menckar grabbed Xander from behind, screaming in fury. He wrapped one arm around Xander's chest and the other around his throat, causing him to gasp for breath. The black swirling hole no longer pulsed, instead it began emitting a piercing sound, like a million birds shrieking at once. Xander would have clamped his hands over his ears if his hands weren't pinned. The sound was rapidly being drowned out by a roar that he knew was only in his head. His oxygen-deprived brain registered that he could hear people shouting, but the other sounds were drowning it out, making it seem far away. A hazy blackness was beginning to cloud his vision, and he renewed his struggles, feeling himself weakening. Menckar laughed, easing up slightly on the hold.

"Foolish man, you think you've won? This time maybe, but I have infinite chances, don't I? I have all the time possible to get this right." Menckar chuckled as he watched Xander's eyes close. He let go, sending the barely conscious young man sprawling. The next second he felt something incredibly painful hit him in the back, driving him to his knees. He rose and turned to meet this new threat, and his eyes narrowing in distaste.

"You..." he growled at Tara, who was standing with the children huddled behind her, balancing a fireball on her palm almost nonchalantly. The crystals that had imprisoned them had crumbled into dust, and clearly the witch's powers had been restored. The Harris brood was looking back and forth between the strange warped blackness, which was still growing, the crumpled form of their father and the much-hated demon, but Tara looked only at Menckar, her eyes black with anger.

"Nobody threatens these kids!" she screamed, hurling the fireball. Menckar tried to duck, but the missile sought him out and knocked him off of his feet again. She looked down at Frankie with a grim smile. "Get your dad and get everyone out of here. I'm going to finish this."

Xander felt something tugging on his sleeve and opened his eyes. He blinked a couple times, and the blur coalesced into Frankie's concerned face looking down at him. For some reason this gave him goose bumps. *Déjà vu all over again,* he thought dazedly, then shook his head to try to clear it.

"Dad? Xander?" Frankie asked tentatively.

"Frankie. What's happening?"

"Aunt Tara said to get you out of here. She's wailing on the bad guys."

"Oh. That's...very bad!" Xander muttered, letting the boy help him to his feet. His head pounded and his chest burned, but he'd suffered worse damage fighting at Buffy's side. He grabbed Frankie by the shoulders. "Get your brothers and sisters out of here, okay?" Frankie shook his head.

"I got them out. I want to stay with you."

"It's too dangerous. Go make sure your brothers and sisters are okay!"

"No! You need me! I can help!" Frankie protested, his head cocked like his mother. Xander resolved to be firm and parental, even though he had no idea how that was done. *Think Giles, that's as close as you've ever come.*

"That's an order! As your father-" The boy suddenly burst into tears. *Uh-oh, what did I do?* Xander thought dizzily.

"You're not my father! He's gone. If you die he's never coming back and my mommy won't know me and I'll never get to go home! So you can't die! Please!" Frankie was sobbing so hard that Xander could barely understand his words. He grabbed the boy into a hug, hoping he could soothe him.

"It's gonna be okay. Everything's gonna be okay."

"Daddy..." the child hiccupped, and Xander's heart felt like it skipped a beat. This boy would be his son someday, but only if he could get things back the way they should be. He straightened, newly resolved, and scanned the area for Tara. What he saw terrified him. Tara appeared to have Menckar dead to rights, and her eyes had turned black, her mouth distorted into an enraged scowl. He had never seen her like this, and it was clear that she had Menckar dead to rights.

*If she kills him, will the same things happen as if I killed him?* Xander wondered. *I don't know, but I can't risk it.*

"Tara, don't do it!" he yelled. The blonde witch looked over at him, hesitating. This was long enough for Menckar to move towards the strange black hole. Xander was nearly overcome by a sense of déjà vu. He knew what Menckar was going to do. Even as he broke into a run, he knew he was not going to be able to stop it.

"Till we meet again, Mr. Harris," Menckar growled, moving his hand in a mock salute. Then he leapt into the screaming void. The second he had passed through it disappeared, the annoying sound still echoing through the chamber but fading rapidly.

"No!" Xander yelled, skidding to a stop. He punched the air helplessly. "I hate when he does that!"

"Where did he go?" Frankie asked.

"Wherever he always goes," Xander answered absently.

"What?" Tara asked, still in shock from the sudden disappearance of the demon.

"What what?" Xander repeated dully. He was still staring at the place where Menckar had disappeared.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you okay?" Xander asked, not seeming to even hear the question.

"Yes. No. I guess so. I don't understand what you're saying, Xander. Menckar disappeared like this before? When he was holding us captive?"

"Not then. Now," Xander said in that same absent tone, then frowned in confusion. "What am I saying?"

"I have no idea. Are YOU alright?"

"Not really sure. Something feels...really weird. It's déjà vu, only stronger. Like...like the movie Groundhog's Day, only if Bill Murray didn't know the day was repeating."

"Oh. Yeah. No, I still don't understand."

"Me either. It's a feeling, like I said. A very special, new, really, really bad feeling."

"Describe it. Without movie references."

"Like...like...like this is the part where I keep screwing up." He moved over to Dawn, dropping to his knees and cradling her head in his lap gently. "Or maybe I already did." Tara crouched down and checked Dawn over, struggling for clinical detachment.

"She's still alive, but I think...it won't be much longer," Tara said softly, her eyes sad. A second later she stood abruptly.

"The kids! I almost forgot about the kids!"

"I told them to go back to where we were before, to Aunt Amy. Jenny's leading the way, she's using the spell Aunt Willow taught her. They're okay," Frankie said, nodding in satisfaction. Tara looked more worried than relieved. 

"Amy! Oh my God, she was having-"

"-the baby," Xander finished softly, as if trying not to wake Dawn. It was easier for him to tell himself that she was asleep than dying. "It's okay. Spike's with her. To help." Tara and Frankie both started talking excitedly.

"Spike? Are you nuts?"

"Yay! Uncle Spike's here!"

***************************

"It's been a long time since I've had so much blood on my hands," Spike said softly. "Course, back then I was spilling it myself. Big bad bringer of death, that's what I am, not some soddin midwife bringing bloody babies into the world. No, no, shhh, don't cry, your mum's resting up, see? We just have to get you all cleaned up so she can see I didn't take any bites out of you, right? See your mum's a big powerful witch, and she'd turn Uncle Spike into a dust bunny the second she thought I'd nipped a bit. She would! Don't give me that look, I've stared down worse than you!"

"Spike?" Amy called weakly, and Spike hurriedly finished drying the freshly washed infant, wrapping him in the baby blanket that had fortuitously been left behind.

"Don't fret, luv," he called back to Amy as he placed the infant in her arms. "There, all better. Meet your offspring." He watched tears of joy and wonder spill down Amy's face and hid his smile. "Bloody Madonna painting. Makes me want to go kill something." Amy opened her mouth to retort, but he held up his hand for silence. She frowned, remembering how much danger they were still in.

"What is it?" she asked, barely audible.

"We've got company coming. Footsteps, lots of them. And I'm guessing it's not the three wise men comin' to pay their respects."

"Trouble?" Amy asked, worried. Spike listened closer, then surprised her by chuckling softly.

"Most definitely. Very familiar trouble." He moved to the edge of the makeshift curtain and looked out, then nodded. "You stay here and do the whole bloody bonding thing. Makes me sick to watch you anyway. I'll take care of this."

"Spike!" Amy hissed, but he had already crossed to the other side of the curtain. Amy heard murmured voices, then Spike's voice reached her ears, his tone sending shivers down her spine. Instinctively she held the baby closer.

"Look at you lot, all full of piss and vinegar. Don't you know who you're dealing with? William the Bloody, that's who. And anyone who forgets that will have to attend a very unpleasant lesson on the subject. Now, who's the Big Bad?"

"You are, Uncle Spike," A chorus of children's voices responded, and Amy realized she'd been had. She waved her hand, and was rewarded with a smacking sound and a pained yelp from the deceitful vampire. The children's giggles reached her ears as well, and she basked for a moment in relief that they all seemed to be okay, until she heard Spike's tone sharpen.

"What happened? Why are you all alone? Where's your Aunt Tara and your dad? And Frankie? Did something happen to your brother?"

"Aunt Tara was fighting the demon guy," Jesse began. He was cradling his sleeping baby brother gently in his arms.

"He hurt Daddy!" Danny squeaked.

"Frankie told us to find Aunt Amy," Joy said in a rush, not wanting to be left out.

"I want my mommy!" Savannah wailed.

"I did the don't get lost spell, all by myself," Jenny said proudly. Danny had left her side and was clinging to Spike's sleeve. Spike ruffled his hair absently. 

"That little tinkerbell light was yours, munchkin?" Spike asked, feigning surprise. "I'm very impressed."

"Are you going to kick his ass, Uncle Spike?" Danny asked excitedly to Spike, who frowned.

"Don't say ass, Danny," Jenny corrected automatically.

"Is Daddy hurt real bad?" Ross asked softly.

"He's okay," Jesse said quickly. "Dad's tougher than that old demon, any day."

"That's right," Spike added. "You all are gonna have to stay here with your Aunt Amy and your new, er, her new baby."

"Can I see the baby?" Missy squealed. 

"If you've seen one, you've seen them all," Ross offered sagely.

"Does this mean that he's not the babiest anymore?" Savannah wondered, temporarily distracted. She was pointing at her infant brother.

"Nah, he's still the babiest, cause this baby's not Daddy's," Jenny told her gently. Spike almost cracked up at the expressions on the younger children's faces, trying to get their brains around a child born in their vicinity without the infamous Harris genes. He gave a shrill whistle and they immediately turned quiet and attentive.

"I need you all to sit quietly while I go get the others. Jenny, think you can make one of those tinkerbell lights for old Uncle Spike to take him to your daddy?" The child beamed, red hair flying wildly with her enthusiastic nodding.

***************************

"So you can do the spell? And bring the other me back?" Xander asked. Tara had discovered the secrets of Menckar's time distortion spell. Reversing it seemed a relatively easy proposition, as it turned out. He had finally let go of Dawn's still form, still reluctant to leave her now. Even though he knew that the demon was the one responsible for her condition, the guilt ate away at him. He tried to make sure she was comfortable, even though Tara told him she was so deep in her coma she didn't feel anything anymore. 

"Sure...whatever was keeping us from using magick here, it's gone now. If Amy's up to it, it should be pretty easy."

"Aren't we going home first?" Frankie asked, his voice quivering only a little, but reminding Xander how young the boy really was. Tara shook her head gently.

"Unless we restore the timeline, we haven't got a home to go back to. We only exist because this place is a wholly different dimension." Pondering what Tara had said, Xander found himself watching Frankie help Tara prepare the spell ingredients. He couldn't help but marvel at the boy's poise and patience. Especially considering the natures of his parents. *Probably why he's so patient. Keeping Cordy and me in line.* he thought ruefully.

"Then we can't ever go home?" Frankie asked. There was no hint of hysteria in the question. 

"No, the spell I'm going to do should take care of it. It's designed to simply undo all the consequences of the first spell, put everyone back exactly where and when and as they were. That's the best way I can describe it," Tara frowned.

"But...then we're just going to do this all over again!" Xander said, the pieces falling into place. "Don't you see, Menckar just starts over and tries it again! Amy gets kidnapped, I get switched, you get kidnapped, the kids, the whole enchilada."

"Why do the same thing over and over again, if it doesn't work?" Frankie asked. 

"And how come we've never figured it out before?" Tara wondered.

"Good questions, both of them. Tara, I don't know that we haven't figured it out before, that's the bad thing about the whole no memory bit. And as far as repeating himself, I think he must be doing something differently, every time. God only knows how many alternative realities he's created. It's like something out of a bad sci fi novel. The point is he's still trying to get this right...and he wants me to know it. He was even bragging about trying again!"

"But he was trying to kill you!"

"If he had really been trying to kill me, I'd be dead. And how many minions would you estimate you've seen since you were captured?"

"Lots," Frankie said.

"That's what I thought. Spike and I ran into some when we got here, but since I got to this place? Four. I wonder how many times he's failed and killed me. Or you. Or the kids. Don't you see?"

"Do over," Frankie said, his eyes wide. "We hit the reset button, and he gets a do-over!"

"Right!" Xander said proudly.

"But why does he want you to figure that out, Xander? Like you said, he was bragging about it. He leaves the spell just sitting here for us to find. He must think he knows what you're going to do."

"Right," Xander said again, more subdued. Before any of them could say another word, a small light that looked something like a blue-tinged firefly entered the room. Frankie grinned.

"Jenny's spell! They're coming back here!"

"Not the whole lot of them, just me," Spike called and Frankie ran to give him a hug.

"Uncle Spike! Is everybody okay?"

"Everybody's tip top, including the new mother and child. Harris, if you ever leave me in a spot like that again, I'll rip your entrails out through your nostrils."

"Wonder how many times you haven't made good on that one?" Xander mused. They brought the vampire up to speed as concisely as possible, then showed him Dawn. Spike kept a short vigil by her side, then came back to them, wiping away a stray tear. He was shaking badly from a range of emotions, mainly fury.

"What now, Harris?" he growled.

"I'm not sure," Xander confessed. "I'm afraid to trust my instincts. What if I end up dooming us all?"

"What do your instincts tell you to do?" Tara asked. Xander shrugged.

"See if we can modify the spell...so that I can remember about Menckar. If we knew what was going to happen, we could stop it, right? No HVE, no demon, no kidnapping." Spike shook his head grimly.

"Won't work, mate. You don't know everything, do you? Mostly you know what you've been told. And if there was a minion planted somewhere, to give you the wrong piece of info at that crucial moment."

"You're right. Like Wesley...Wesley was a minion."

"Safe bet," Spike snorted. "He gave you the sword and told you to cut the bastard's head off. If you had..."

"Thank God for Willow," Xander breathed. Tara smiled at him, her smile faltering when she saw the look on his face.

"Xander...is something wrong with Willow?" He took her hand in his and swallowed hard.

"We're gonna fix everything, Tara. I promise you, this is all going to be some kind of pizza before bedtime dream, and Will's gonna be just fine."

"How are you gonna fix it?"

"I'm thinking, son," Xander said, using the term without giving it any thought. "I know it doesn't look like it, but I really am." Xander paced back and forth, wishing he was smarter. Like Giles or Buffy or Willow or...just about anybody else. He wasn't meant to be the center of things like this, the hero on which everything depended. That was the Slayer's job. He was supposed to fetch donuts, and do research, and make jokes. He looked up and saw that they were all staring at him, and that made things that much worse. He hadn't felt this kind of pressure since high school graduation, which Buffy had told him everything depended on him...and inspiration struck.

Later, if he been able to remember that moment, he would have sworn sincerely the idea was his and his alone. Unlike the sword fight where he had felt like some force was helping him, this thought was so simple and perverse that it had to have come from his Xander brain. From the disbelieving expressions on the others' faces, they shared that assessment. But there was no other idea. Not even another suggestion. So they gathered up the others, made the necessary preparations, took a little time to let Amy cry because she realized she'd gone through the whole childbirth thing for nothing, and then they were ready. Xander took a deep breath as the spell was cast, feeling the energy swirl around him...and he prayed he wasn't about to destroy the world with his stupid plan. He didn't realize that the idea itself had been his answer.

***************************

"Finally," Wesley breathed, smiling. "I don't think I would have been able to go through this again." The nurse gave him a puzzled look, but said nothing. Disorientation and head injuries kind of went hand in hand, after all. From what she'd heard this Wesley Wyndham-Price wasn't all that together before he got hit in the head. The nurses' lounge was all abuzz about him and his friends. It was ironic and tragic; the pretty redhead that had helped bring him in suffering an embolism in the waiting room and slipping into a coma. She couldn't help shake her head when she thought of it.

Wesley had been depressed about Willow; now he had to force himself not to jump up and dance around the room. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this euphoric. Repeated crushing disappointment was what had made his sanity ebb away. But that was all over now. This time the boy had finally gotten it right. He laughed out loud, earning another of the nurse's looks. Her expression changed abruptly from puzzled sympathy to alarm a second later.

It sounded like the room had suddenly turned into a wind tunnel. The nurse frantically went to the window, her only thought the possibility of tornados or some other natural disaster. Seeing clear skies and no hint of a breeze, she turned just in time to see something she would never be able to adequately describe. A large circle of strangely thickening air, semi-transparent, appeared in the air. Fear tasted metallic in her mouth as she backed up until she realized she was in the corner. She was so scared she couldn't even scream, until her patient got out of bed and approached the strange apparition.

"Mr. Wyndham-Price! Don't!" she screamed. The man turned towards her, smiling in gentle sympathy. He was already forgetting what had happened on this world. Before his wife's death she taught him the most important trick to exploring different realities: don't try to keep things straight, just go with the flow. He had been forced to abandon that philosophy here; trying to keep straight what had worked and what hadn't and when and so forth, and it had driven him more than a little mad. But now he could forget it all, let it go, go with the flow. His small smile widened into a Cheshire cat grin that would have scared the nurse if it were possible for her to be more terrified. 

"It's quite all right, I assure you. It's just my wife. She's come to pick me up. I trust I'm ready to be discharged?" The nurse simply nodded in mute disbelief. From this side of the portal Wesley could just her out: the shadow of her long hair and a splash of red that he knew was her favorite dress. It wasn't really his Fred, of course; she had been lost long ago. He couldn't quite remember where or when he had met this other Fred, the one who was waiting for him. She was Fred, in every way that mattered. That was more important.

The second he vanished everything was back to normal. Like a woman in a dream, the nurse walked to the door of the room and exited. No longer had she seen a man vanish into thin air, because Wesley Wyndham-Price had never been there at all. 

***************************

December 9, 2000

The Scooby gang sat disconsolately in the waiting room. Buffy couldn't help but remember how they had all been in the same place not so long ago, waiting for word on her mother. She prayed a prayer of gratitude that so far the news on Xander had been equally good.

She looked around at the others. Tara and Willow were talking quietly, Willow's eyes still red-rimmed from her tears. Dawn was starting to fidget the way she did when she was anxious. Giles was pacing and polishing his glasses repeatedly. 

"I want to see him! Why can't we see him?" Dawn asked hotly. Giles cleared his throat.

"He's only just regained consciousness, Dawn. You heard Ben. The less commotion around Xander right now, the better. Anya's with him now, as is only right."

"But he's gonna be all right, right?" Dawn asked, her tone letting Buffy know she was still scared. She reached out and squeezed her sister's hand tight.

"Xander? He's just fine now, but he got a bump on the head, and they want to keep him overnight. We'll be able to see him shortly, and Anya can take him home in the morning. Everything's gonna be fine, Dawnie, just you see." Her sister searched her face, then sighed.

"Okay, if you say so. I guess this place just gives me the willies."

"Right there with you, Dawnie," Tara said. "Major heebie-jeebies here too."

Buffy smiled to see Anya walking up. She could tell by the color in the girl's cheeks that Xander was doing as well as they had been told. Buffy smiled for the first time since finding out her friend had been injured. *I can't believe he got hit by a beam! Talk about cursed. Maybe he's safer patrolling for vampires.*

***************************

October 31, 2011

Xander stepped out on the porch to get some late afternoon air, stopping short as he realized they had an unexpected guest. Unexpected but certainly not unwelcome, he thought with a smile.

"Hey."

"Hey, Daddy," she said, her tone teasing. Xander couldn't help but grin at her.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Didn't Anya tell you? I'm on trick-or-treat detail. Ready, willing, and chock full of protection spells."

"I thought Lili drew the short straw."

"She did, but I took pity on her. She's got Jenny, Danny, Joy and Vanna, and I've got Frankie, Jesse, Missy and Ross." Xander nodded. Somehow the two older boys had talked their mothers into letting them go as the Jesse James Gang. Although his wholly unbiased parental opinion was that they were the most adorable cowboy outlaws ever, especially Melissa, he couldn't help having visions of a distant Halloween where costumes came to life. If his kids started robbing banks their mothers would have to deal with it, he decided.

"Sounds like you've got the better end of the deal," he observed, grinning when she rolled her eyes at him.

"She's a Slayer; she can handle it," she retorted. He eyed her critically for a moment, enjoying the blush. "What?" she said in an annoyed tone, trying to cover up her embarrassment.

"Just remembering when you used to wear a costume...you made a cute kitty-cat when you were younger," he teased. She rolled her eyes again.

"I was never that young," she said, but he could tell the thought pleased her. After a moment she looked pensive.

"Do you ever think about what happened?" It was an open question, but he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"All the time," he admitted.

"Me, too. I mean, it changed everything, didn't it? I hated what happened, but I can't stand to think what could have happened if..."

"I know what happened was bad for you, hon. But Menckar's dead. And you were the one who did it, Dawn. You're a hero."

"Thank goodness I got so obsessive about learning about what being the Key really meant. I know Buffy was worried when I spent so much time and energy in research, but it really did pay off." 

"I just wish we could have saved him too," Xander said, thinking of Dawn's dead fiance. She nodded, sighing. 

"Me, too. But I guess that wasn't the way it was supposed to be. Do you believe in fate, Xander? That there are things we just cannot change?"

He considered the thought for a moment. He actually thought he might have something to say on the subject, like some great truth was lying just beyond his grasp. Finally he shrugged.

"Beats me."

***************************

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